Be My Someone
by V Lynne
Summary: Rory has to leave her daughter with Tristan....whose own son isn't all that happy to have her around....lots of angst, romance, TRORY of course....
1. DuGreys

AN: For those of you who read the previously done 'Be My Someone' first chapter I decided it needed to be redone, confused some people on the names I used so here is the real Chapter 1. Full of Trory (although older Tristan & Rory), relationships between their kids, conflicts, angst and all that good stuff.  
  
DISC: Do not own Gilmore Girls. Only the characters I create are mine. :)  
  
Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 1: DuGreys  
  
Written by: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
A frustrated scream came out the young girl's throat as she stared at her mother, whose face was determined not to back down from her decision.  
  
"You can't think that making me do this is a good choice, Mom. It's like sending a lamb as a pet to wolves. Why would you even think I would want to?"  
  
Lorelai 'Rory' Gilmore stared at her eldest child, sitting around the pine round kitchen table in the medium sized kitchen of their New York City apartment. Sunlight was pouring in from the single large window that wasn't blocked by the sky rise building across the busy street, which did block the sunlight more often than not from the three bedrooms that faced the street. Rory took in that her daughter was indeed angered by the fact that she was going to have to be separated for 3-5 months before Rory could join her in Connecticut.  
  
Not so much that, Rory thought, as where her daughter and son were going to be living those months.  
  
"You don't want to see your godfather?" Rory questioned, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Of course I want to see him, he's one of the greatest people I know," Jessica Leigh Gilmore paused, "but the fact of spending time in the same house as.....HIM....I don't think it's the best idea you've ever come up with."  
  
Rory lifted a delicately arched dark brown eyebrow at her daughter's insightful comment on just why she was so dead set against going to Hartford.  
  
"I know that you two had a falling out..."  
  
"More like a drag out hate-you-forever fight." Jess interrupted.  
  
"Okay," Rory allowed, "but it is his home and his return is just as unexpected as my job requirements."  
  
"Right, like the whole Connecticut area didn't know two weeks ago," Jess eyed her mother, "when somebody should have told me that he was going home instead of staying in France for his senior year like he was going to."  
  
"It was a mistake not to tell you but he is going to be going to Chilton with you. I can't stop that, Jess."  
  
"How about you write some column that only education minds can go to Chilton not stuck-up, self-serving egotistical jerks."  
  
Rory had to cough in order to hide her laugh, as she remembered not too long ago describing a male of that same family just like that.  
  
"Sorry, honey, but the New York Times doesn't exactly work that way."  
  
Jess snapped her fingers in disappointment with a small smile, "Damn."  
  
Rory glanced to the shadow that appeared on the tiled kitchen flooring before her youngest child entered, his towhead buried in a thick hard-back book that it was surprising to both the Gilmore females that he could see where he was walking.  
  
"Ten years old and already smarter than males my age." Jess proclaimed as she touched her kid brother's arm to keep him from walking into the kitchen table, his dark-ocean eyes blinked up from the book in surprise.  
  
"You done telling her about Terry, Mom?" Christopher asked, as Jess glared at her mother.  
  
"Just about, C.J. why don't you go finish packing?" Rory leaned across the table and kissed the top of his head as he rolled his eyes at the motherly gesture.  
  
"Mom." C.J. protested.  
  
Turning on the heel of his sneakers, he passed the toaster, grabbing a Pop Tart that Jess had put in there before her mother dropped the bomb, and headed to his room. Knowing his sister like he did the conversation would last a good another half an hour before she gave in.  
  
"How is it that Boy Genius knows what you were talking to me about?"  
  
Rory stood up, going to the sink to rinse out her coffee mug before turning on the new coffee maker to brew another pot.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"He heard me talking to your Grandma."  
  
"Gee, and someone thought I'd like to be the last to know?"  
  
Rory turned, leaning against the porcelain sink and white countertop, to meet her daughter's eyes.  
  
"I realize that it's asking alot but you have to think of C.J. if I could I would let you stay with Grandma in Stars Hollow like you do during the school year since last year but it's not just you going to Connecticut this time. C.J. and you will both have to be under one roof and unfortunately your Grandma's house only has room for one of you."  
  
"So have C.J. move into the tool shed at the Inn."  
  
Rory's look told Jess that wasn't funny.  
  
"And moving there is the only other alternative?"  
  
"Afraid so. I would put you at Grandma Emily's but she's spending the next two months in England with one of her charities."  
  
"Great, so I'm forced to live in the same household as Playgirl Model?"  
  
"Playgirl Model?"  
  
"That's what Grandma calls him after seeing him on the cover of Teen magazine."  
  
Rory touched her forehead at the name that her mother had given the boy that her daughter's feelings went from luke-warm to streaming-anger hot.  
  
"Forget I asked," Rory waved her hand in front of her, "you are going and that's the end of it."  
  
"Fine. Can I whine, scream and complain the entire way there?"  
  
"If I said no, would that stop you?"  
  
Jess grinned, standing and pushed an escaping brown strand of hair from her French braid behind her ear.  
  
"Not a chance."  
  
Rory offered a smile to her sixteen-year-old daughter.  
  
"It'll work out, Jess."  
  
Jess started to walk out, stopping to toss a comment over her shoulder.  
  
"Think I'll get Murder One when they find him missing two days after I get there? Isn't it not a crime if they can't find the body?" Jess pondered, snatching an apple off the fruit bowl next to the kitchen door before exiting.  
  
Rory went back to her coffee making, bracing a hand on the edge of the sink.  
  
"Always wondered what would happen if Tristan and I got together, maybe now I'll find out." Rory thought aloud.  
  
~  
  
C.J. sat in the back of his mom's Ford Expedition while he half-listen, half-tuned out his sister's occasional bout of resentment. Noticing his sister's face in the rear view mirror he noticed most of the comments were from habit rather than real anger at Terry. C.J. always wondered why his two siblings couldn't get along but that was like asking why a cat can't get along with a mouse. Tension, emotion-entanglements, distrust. Big words but like his mother always said, if you knew the meanings to big words why not use big words rather than small ones. Although talking like a kid did have its advantages when it came to his sister's relationships. He found out tons that he knew Jess would have a field day with if she knew, reading a sister's journal had a certain appeal that not even he could deny.  
  
As they came to the city limits of Stars Hollow, his mom's hometown and where their Grandma Lorelai lived along with all the people that were basically extended family. Pulling up to a building the words 'Hardware' clearly lettered on the outside didn't put off his mom as she opened her door, called that they were stopping for a while and left the two of them to get out.  
  
Jess glanced around Stars Hollow, her school year hometown, and noticed that the trees in the center of the two street town were already turning to autumn colors. The wind blew lightly and she smiled. How she missed this place when she was gone. Closing the car door behind her, as C.J. followed, the two of them got on the sidewalk and opened the glass door of the 'Hardware' store that was really a diner owned by their Grandma's closest friend and love-interest Luke Danes.  
  
Small tables with checkerboard table clothes; a long counter with bar stools where behind the counter was Luke. Blue backward baseball cap; white T-shirt with flannel over it and jeans. The uniform of the diner. Sitting on a lonely bar stool was the graciously aged, barely gray haired Lorelai Gilmore, in a tan skirt with a bright silk blue blouse sipping coffee out of a mug.  
  
Rory was sitting next to her mother, dressed in a green T-shirt with black jeans and a matching black jean jacket, not a person in the diner could not say the two very pretty to almost beautiful women weren't related.  
  
"Well, if it isn't two very trouble-making kids," Luke announced, his lips lifted at the edges into a smile, "Rory, I thought I told you to leave those two outside?"  
  
"I know, Luke, but no matter what I do they follow me." Rory kept in character with Luke's annoyed look at the two kids.  
  
"What do you two have to say for yourselves?"  
  
C.J. grinned from ear to ear as Jess used her right hand to toss her long dark hair over her shoulder before hauty speaking to him.  
  
"If you deny us service I will just have to convey our mutual displeasure to our relatives and that may cost you a great deal of lost revenue due to how much our relatives occupy those bar stools."  
  
Luke winked at Jess since neither Lorelai or Rory could see his face.  
  
"Talk a little more, half pint and I could use you as my lawyer." Luke informed the girl.  
  
"Couldn't you though?" Jess smiled as C.J. burst out laughing at the way those two always greeted each other, "so Uncle Luke keeping Grandma out of trouble?"  
  
Luke hugged Jess to him as she hugged him back.  
  
"Not even the Secret Service could keep your Grandma out of trouble, kiddo."  
  
C.J. only grinned at Luke, knowing that they didn't need hugs to show their affection.  
  
"I take offense to that." Lorelai stated before hugging C.J., tousling his already tousled blond curls and then giving a one-arm hug to Jess, keeping a hand on her coffee mug.  
  
"How are you doing, Jessie James?" Lorelai asked, nodding to the unoccupied bar stools so that C.J. and Jess sat down.  
  
"Fine but would you please talk some sense into Mom so she doesn't send me off to OZ without a fair trial?"  
  
"Don't listen to Jess, Grandma, she's just upset cause Terry's going be there."  
  
"Terry?" Lorelai thought for a moment, "oh, Playgirl Model. Don't tell me that you and Hot Boy Jr. are on the outs?"  
  
"Mother," Rory begged, "could you please not call him that?"  
  
"Haven't you seen him? If I was Jess's age I would be all over that boy....kinda like you with his dad," Lorelai suggestively inquired, "how is it between you and Bible Boy?"  
  
"Tristan and I are fine, Mom."  
  
Lorelai glanced to C.J., who looked entirely too much like his father that she knew he would be breaking as many hearts as his dad and older brother in no time.  
  
"Happy to be spending some time with your dad?"  
  
C.J. nodded, as Jess sighed heavily.  
  
"I haven't seen him since school ended last year."  
  
"Have to admit," Lorelai turned her face to Rory's worried expression to just what Lorelai had on her devious mind, "that boy of yours does make good looking kids."  
  
Rory groaned, before Luke interfered with coffee causing Lorelai to glare at him that Rory hadn't even asked for it yet.  
  
"Hey, she's been gone." Luke replied back to the look.  
  
"Alright, I'll let it slid this time only because I know your coming home with me."  
  
Jess chuckled at her Grandma's obsessions with coffee and not to mention Luke.  
  
"Speaking of the Fathers' of my grandchildren," Lorelai spoke up with, "how's Jess Sr.?"  
  
Rory shrugged, noting Luke's also interested look.  
  
"He's in Chicago working on his latest project."  
  
"Who would have thought he'd become a stuffy archaeologist?"  
  
"Actually Dad's more Indiana Jones than a Professor, Grandma," Jess informed, "he spent this summer in Peru gathering information on a sacred stone."  
  
"Well, that is more interesting than being a stuffy Professor at Chicago University. Besides I always liked Indiana Jones," Lorelai sighed dreamily, "Harrison Ford was such a babe."  
  
"As much as I'd like to continue this discussion into who Lorelai thinks is a babe," Luke said, "just how long are you staying in Stars Hollow, Rory?"  
  
"Tonight. I have to drop off Jess and C.J. at Tristan's and then head to the Inn..."  
  
"Oh no you don't, young lady, you are staying with us." Lorelai protested.  
  
"Okay, fine. But I already paid and Michel already has the payment for my room."  
  
"First off the man is so fired for charging you to stay in MY Inn. Second, you talked to Michel? Are you glutton for punishment or what? Plus Sookie has promised to bring over dinner."  
  
"Not only to I have to stay in the Dragon's Lair I don't get to eat Sookie's food." Jess complained under her breath.  
  
"Poor baby." C.J. teased.  
  
"Watch it, brother of mine, or you just might take the place of your dear older brother in the grave I will be digging tonight."  
  
Lorelai laughed at the exchange.  
  
"I knew I should have had a second child."  
  
"That child would still be in college or possibly in high school, Mom." Rory remarked.  
  
Lorelai grimaced.  
  
"On second thought...."  
  
~  
  
After leaving the diner, Lorelai promising to rescue Jess soon, Rory drove the forty-five minute drive to Hartford. Dark trees loomed, empty streets lined with huge over-done houses until Rory pulled off the Hartford 'Fifth Ave' to the private street that Tristan had selected, valuing his privacy now more than he had before. The sandstone drive led to the gray-stoned two-story house that looked like something out of the Colonial period. Spacious, realistic, rich without being snobby. The DuGrey Estate, as Jess called it, was a house that screamed mountains of money with a homey feel. She bet Tristan spent alot of money to get it to say that.  
  
Next to the house their Expedition looked out of place, like a horse drawn carriage should be in front of the U-shaped drive not a vehicle of steel and plastic. Off to the side of the house was the matching type styled garage with an apartment above it where the family that worked on the Estate lived.  
  
"Forgot how big Dad's place is." C.J. commented, getting out and gathering two of his four suitcases.  
  
"Like anyone could forget this house." Jess replied, as Rory gave her a 'Come-On' look as they each took suitcases out and Rory rang the doorbell that sounded like wind chimes.  
  
Opening the stained glass paneled door, came the unexpected presence of a sandy-haired young man with a pleased expression on his face and in his hazel eyes.  
  
"Rory, Jess, C.J! We didn't expect you this early," Adam St. Clare greeted, "come in, here let me get some of the bags."  
  
Adam took one from Rory and one from Jess, leading them into the foyer.  
  
Marble tiled flooring, a grand staircase fifty feet from the front door that separated the sides of the house, gold framed paintings, fresh flowers on the two small entrance tables. A modest chandelier hung above the staircase lighting the entire area.  
  
"Uncle Tristan is in the den talking to Claudia on the vid-phone," Adam told Rory, as she nodded.  
  
"Master Adam, why did you not tell me they had arrived," a middle-aged woman with a light accent that sounded English arrived dressed in a skirt with a white blouse covered by an apron; "you must be Miss Jessica and Master Christopher."  
  
"That'd be us." Jess informed the gentle-looking woman.  
  
"I'm Mrs. Fitzgerald, but call me Mrs. Fitz, I do the cooking for Master Tristan," Mrs. Fitz turned to Rory, who she automatically saw as Tristan's love, "and you must be Miss Gilmore."  
  
"Call me Rory, it's nice to meet you Mrs. Fitz."  
  
"Master Tristan could talk of nothing else these past two days but your arrival. Let me get Alfred and James to help you with the bags."  
  
The white-gray haired woman disappeared as Adam took in Jess and C.J.  
  
"Ready to live in the Southern Plantation?" Adam joked.  
  
"It's like a cross between one and a Colonial, isn't it?" Jess asked.  
  
"Come on, Jess, you've been here a while ago."  
  
"No, that was when Tristan still lived in his parents mausoleum. He didn't finish this until after Terry and I..."  
  
"Stopped talking, communicating or otherwise acknowledging each other's existence?"  
  
"That about covers it."  
  
Adam shook his head ruefully at his cousin's and his best friend's behavior.  
  
The footsteps of Tristan's shoes echoing off the marble flooring got Rory's attention from her daughter talking to Tristan's younger sister's son, who he had full legal guardianship over.  
  
Rory took in Tristan's appearance almost like she had been denied air for so long that now it was hard to breathe. You'd think that him being forty years old, the same age as she would do something to his outward appearance but no, life wasn't just. His hair, a wavy golden blond was still without a hint of gray to it, his tan only added to his clean cut handsome features and he was just beginning to get crow's feet at the edge of his eyes. Still tall, built like a god, and had the ability to make her feel weak in the knees just by looking at him. Life was so not fair.  
  
"Hey, Rory."  
  
Out came in a soft undertone that never failed to cause her the shiver when he said her name like that.  
  
"Tristan."  
  
His trademark smirk appeared as he knew just what affect his presence had on her, then turned his smirk into a smile as his eyes rested on his youngest son, Christopher Janlen Gilmore DuGrey. No mistake that the boy was his, C.J. looked exactly like him when he was C.J.'s age. Unlike him though, C.J. was full of emotions that he never failed to express and he was sincerely loved and knew it.  
  
"Dad!"  
  
Tristan hugged his son to him, having not seen him in almost three months and that was wearing on Tristan's emotions. Thank god that Rory was moving back to Connecticut, that way he got to see his son more and Rory much, much more. With that promising thought, he saw that his son had grown at least two inches in height and already had the good looks so common with the DuGrey bloodline.  
  
"Haven't been causing problems for your Mom, have you?"  
  
C.J. shook his head, as Tristan's matching ocean eyes sought Rory's always clear sky-blue ones.  
  
"He's been burying his head in books and VR games all summer."  
  
"I wonder where he gets his book love from?" Tristan suggestively asked.  
  
Rory just looked all innocent that Tristan felt an ache go straight to his chest.  
  
"I have no idea, must take after his sister."  
  
With that said, Tristan put a hand on his son's shoulder and sought out his goddaughter, the girl he was as possessive of as he was of her mother and brother. It never failed to amaze him that she looked exactly like Rory, the image taking him back to when he first met the girl that had changed him. Same stubbornness, beauty, and intelligence that was seemingly to be a Gilmore trait. How his son didn't miss that Tristan wondered if he needed to use a brick against his son's thick head.  
  
"The Vision," Tristan declared, as his nickname for Jess had become an old joke, "how gracious of her to grace us with her presence."  
  
"Don't," Rory scolded, "she's got a big enough ego as it is."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Mom." Jess said and stuck her tongue out at her mother.  
  
"And mature, too, I see." Tristan laughed, before Jess set down her bags and hugged him around the waist.  
  
"I missed you." Jess told him.  
  
Backing up in the young girl's arms he genuinely smiled at her.  
  
"I missed you, too, Jess."  
  
"Back off my dad, Jess." C.J. demanded smiling.  
  
"Sorry, brat, I'm afraid I have decided that he's too good for you. Are you sure aliens didn't drop you off? How about Big Foot?"  
  
Tristan saw C.J. roll his eyes at his sister, before Adam cut in.  
  
"You know now that I look at him I do see a resemblance to the Abdominal Snowman." Adam added.  
  
"Mom." C.J. urged her, to get the two teens off his case.  
  
"Alright, guys, let's leave C.J. alone."  
  
"Baby." Jess teased.  
  
"I know where you sleep, Jess." C.J. countered.  
  
Tristan and Rory smiled at that.  
  
"How could you? You don't even know where you sleep?"  
  
"And if all else fails you could always sleep with me, Jess." came the husky tone of a male she tried to forget.  
  
The silent descent of the returning prodigal son caused all five people below to stare up at the slacks and black T-shirt clad blond, blue eyed babe, as Lorelai would say. His eyes were narrowed as he stepped onto the second to last stair and leveled his eyes at Jess.  
  
"Terry." Tristan's tone warned his son, who only smiled a wide fake smile at his father.  
  
"Don't worry, Dad, I wouldn't want to cause bloodshed this early in Jess's stay," Terry informed his Dad but his eyes never left Jess's wide angered turquoise ones.  
  
"The only blood that would be shed would be yours, DuGrey."  
  
"Don't count on it, Gilmore."  
  
Tristan saw the tension, it was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The front door opened marking James and Alfred coming in with the rest of the luggage and broke the trance they all seemed to be under.  
  
"Well, that's it," Mrs. Fitz declared, "why don't we get Miss Jessica and Master Christopher's things upstairs and then we can eat."  
  
Tristan nodded, taking Rory's hand as if to unite the parental fronts. Jess had broken off eye contact with Terry and talked with Adam as they headed up that stairs. C.J. was asking Terry about France, as Rory and Tristan followed the two up the stairs to situate the kid's bedrooms.  
  
~  
  
Soon, with Mrs. Fitz's help Jess was completely unpacked in the guestroom that Tristan informed her was not a guestroom but her own room at the house. It had been designed with her in mind. The window seat got first light that was important to Jess, as she was heavily involved in painting, as well as a private bathroom with skylights that brought all natural light into play. Her room was done in creams and pale blues, a canopy bed with all pine furniture that followed her love of soft colors. It was a stunning room that Rory had stood in shock of.  
  
"Tristan, that is too much."  
  
Tristan only shrugged it off.  
  
"I don't think it's enough, honestly."  
  
"Are you kidding me? All that kid needs now is her own car and...." Rory stopped at Tristan's guilty look.  
  
"Tristan DuGrey, do not tell me you bought Jess a car. Say those words cause that is the only way you are getting out of this conversation with skin intact."  
  
Putting a hand behind his neck in a remorseful but confident manner, he stared at Rory.  
  
"Sorry, can't."  
  
"When we agreed that Jess and C.J. stay here I don't remember saying anything to the fact of you gifting her with cars or a dream bedroom. I also don't remember asking you to make C.J.'s room into a half library that rivals the library in Stars Hollow."  
  
"Rory, calm down."  
  
"I will not calm down, Tristan," as she spoke he stood steps backwards, "my kids are not to become spoiled brats that take things for granted because everything is handed to them on a silver platter."  
  
At that, he stopped and took a step forward the invaded Rory's space that the only place to go was against the white hall wall, with his arms coming out to fan out on each side of her head.  
  
"C.J. is OUR child, Rory. He's entitled to all I can give just as much as Terry and I agree that giving them everything they want isn't a great idea, lord knows I learned that first hand but I hardly ever get to spend time with him or with Jess and I think that gives me some right to want to provide for them when I do get to spend time with them. Did you think about how Jess was going to get around while you are in New York finishing your work? She needs a car, Rory. We agreed that C.J. would be driven to school by Rory, Terry, or Adam which makes her need for a car real. As well as getting to and from school, to and from Stars Hollow and to and from any activity she may be involved in without having to depend on someone else to provide her with one. In a sense I am giving her freedom that you independent Gilmore girls love. So tell me again how giving them something like this is bad? Both C.J. and Jess are going to be living with you once you move back to Stars Hollow but they will also know that they'll always have a place with me as well."  
  
The proximity of their bodies was a heady feeling for both of them. Rory had to admit he had a point although it damned her to admit it.  
  
"What is this car you gave her?"  
  
Tristan backed off, knowing he had won.  
  
"A Mercedes."  
  
Rory groaned before he added.  
  
"A very nice car, with a built in phone should she need it but no added luxuries."  
  
"Besides it being a very near six figure vehicle."  
  
"Not actually. You should see the car that Adam has."  
  
Rory held up her hand in protest.  
  
"I don't want to know. Mercedes is very safe and dependable," Rory noted, "a good choice."  
  
"It's all paid for so you don't have to worry about that and is fully insured in both her and your names."  
  
Rory knew he hadn't meant to upset her with this but it was her job, as Jess's mother, to provide things for Jess. Car included, in case Jess's savings from her odd jobs didn't allow for her to get one anytime soon.  
  
"A little spoiling isn't going to hurt either one of them. Jess is too down to earth for that and C.J. isn't half as cocky as I was at his age, so already he's showing traits of being practical."  
  
"Although his hair maintenance needs work," Rory offered, "I swear that boy spends more time in the bathroom on his hair than both me and Jess."  
  
Tristan smirked.  
  
"A DuGrey trait."  
  
"What could he possibly need to do with it? It's a wavy tousled mess. No matter what he does to it the hair does what it wants, which is to half fall into his eyes and give him that sleepy look that you perfected at infancy."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
Tristan leaned forward from having backed away earlier, his lips brushed hers in the smallest of caresses.  
  
"I thought you liked that look."  
  
Rory moved her lips against his, their contact brief but enough to cause both to feel their blood on fire.  
  
"I do," Rory breathed, "on you. Not on our ten year old son. I have enough problems with Jess's love life without him becoming Casanova thanks to your unruly hair gene."  
  
Tristan smiled against her lips before deepening the kiss by closing their distance from each other and imprisoning her to the wall as he thoroughly kissed the only woman he ever loved in the middle of the upstairs hallway where at any minute one of their mutual three children or his nephew could walk out and see their affectionate display.  
  
"I'll just have to work on him then."  
  
Rory sighed, her breath ragged.  
  
"I gotta go. Dinner with Mom, Luke and Sookie. Spending the night at Mom's."  
  
"Thought you'd want to try sleeping here."  
  
Rory widened her eyes at his blatant invitation before softly smiling.  
  
"I wish I could, but I doubt sleep is what I'd get, Tristan, and unfortunately sleep is what I need if I have to drive back to New York and be at work on Monday."  
  
Tristan growled under his breath before she pressed a kiss to his lips and they separated.  
  
"I have to say goodbye to the kids."  
  
Tristan let her out of his arm hold and watched her go down the hall before muttering.  
  
"One day, Rory, you are going to get in my bed and I'm going to keep you there."  
  
~  
  
After Rory left, Mrs. Fitz set out a dinner that was a rival to anything Sookie could cook but being loyal to her Grandma's best friend's cooking Jess would always say that Sookie's was the best. Sitting at the intimate dinning room table, something Jess had not thought Tristan would have that he'd be more for an Empire long table rather than a simple mahogany eight- person table.  
  
Jess had come down to find Terry the first one at the table, so chose a chair two removed from his as Mrs. Fitz had set out the last of the food before announcing that dinner was ready. A phone rang in the back of the house and Tristan had made an exit after apologizing at least five times for not being able to eat with them.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Tristan," Jess reassured, "we won't be horribly scarred, since Mom does it to us at least once a week, besides," Jess winked at him mischievously, "if we are I'm sure you can pay the bills for our therapy."  
  
Tristan laughed coming into the dinning room and kissing her forehead.  
  
"You act just like your mother."  
  
"Before or after you met her the second time?" Jess wondered.  
  
Tristan thought for a minute.  
  
"Both. I just didn't appreciate her the first time like I should have." Tristan honestly stated.  
  
"Good enough for me."  
  
Tristan glanced the slightly irritated look in his eldest son's face.  
  
"Try to play nice, children."  
  
Tristan left the dinning room and Jess could hear him apologizing the C.J. and Adam in the foyer. Jess turned her glaze onto the food in front of her, ignoring Terry's presence. Helping herself to the food, she set it out on her place before C.J. and Adam joined them. Adam sat a chair away from Terry on Terry's other side while C.J. sat next to Adam.  
  
"It smells good." C.J. commented.  
  
"Always does. Mrs. Fitz used to work for a Count in Ireland."  
  
"That's the accent. I couldn't place it earlier."  
  
Adam nodded.  
  
"She's a great help. Not uptight like our Grandparents cook at the old house, which doesn't surprise me why they didn't take him with them when they moved to Richmond."  
  
"How's your Mom?" Jess asked between bites of mashed potatoes.  
  
"Who knows? Prancing around with her latest boyfriend probably." Adam's tone was good-natured, having accepted his mother's frivolous ways years ago when Tristan took him in when he was seven.  
  
"Sounds like somebody else's mother I know." Terry commented, taking a sip of his wineglass that Jess knew did not have soda in it.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Don't take it out of context, kitten, it's just a observation."  
  
"Observation?"  
  
"That your mother doesn't have the best track record either when it comes to men, now does it?"  
  
C.J. went to say something only to have Adam shake his head. These two needed to battle out things themselves, even if it meant hitting below the belt.  
  
"I rather my mother everyday over some woman who acts like she's twenty rather than forty going around half dressed with men half her age around her teenage son and having him become some Playgirl model."  
  
"At least she married my dad, unlike your mother who just sleeps with men and gets pregnant but doesn't get married to them. What's that old saying, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free'?"  
  
Adam let out a breath of air at the harsh words. Terry's resentment of his parent's break up was a big kept secret that only Adam knew. Terry blamed Rory for it.  
  
"Shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
"Don't I? Let's see here. Out of college, at least she had the grace to wait until she got her degree to get pregnant with you by Jess Danes, whose relative owns a Hardware store turned diner and is a history Professor that travels but doesn't really have any more time for your mom than he does for you. Then she waits until she sees my dad again years later and when my parents were having a rough time goes in for the kill, makes my dad break up with my mom and then gets your mom pregnant with C.J, which is the only good thing that happened out of that. Which gets me stuck with being related to you by C.J. for the rest of my life because your slut of a mother couldn't keep her hands off a married man."  
  
Adam heard rather than saw the events after that. It happened so fast that even Terry was unprepared for it. Jess had raised out of her seat, unshed angry tears in her crystal blue eyes, as she reached across the small space and whole handedly slapped Terry across the face backed by the force of her entire body she got him to turn his face by the power. Then taking her red juice that she was drinking, threw it at him with such vigor she splashed his entire upper body and face cause splats to land on the wall behind him. The utter hatred in Jess's face and eyes caused Adam to swallow hard.  
  
"God, I hate you. How such an evil person can be related to anyone I care about I don't know but I hate you. I hate you."  
  
"So you've said," Terry was using his cloth napkin to clean off his face, "please reframe from being a broken record, Gilmore. It's unbecoming."  
  
Jess glared at him before pushing her chair back and running out of the room. C.J. glared at his elder brother before excusing himself and going after his sister. Adam sat there, disgust at his cousin clear on his face.  
  
"I always wondered why she didn't want anything to do with you, Terry, now I know and I don't blame her one bit because if she didn't hate you before she sure as hell does now."  
  
Adam pushed himself from the table, his appetite gone and headed up the stairs to see about Jess. Behind him he heard the screech of Mrs. Fitz having wondered what happened.  
  
Terry stood with all the lazy grace of a cat.  
  
"Just a reminder not to get involved with kittens, Mrs. Fitz."  
  
~  
  
Terrance Julien DuGrey walked out of the dinning room feeling lousy. He should have felt better for getting that off his chest but he didn't. He really shouldn't have said that, especially not in front of C.J. His little brother didn't need to resentment that he had towards Rory and Jessica Gilmore. Adam wasn't a great witness to have either since his cousin was half in love with Jess himself although the moron didn't know it.  
  
The stickiness of the drink Jess had tossed at him was starting to set in and so he reluctantly headed up the stairs, to his room shutting and locking the door before pulling his shirt over his head, followed by yanking his slacks off and then his underwear padding across the carpeted floor naked but unselfconscious. Living the past year and a half in France under the rule of his flightily mother and a thousand different photographers got a person from being self conscious real quick or you went nuts. Constantly under surveillance to see if some part of your body was inadequate, if you gained half a pound and a broad variety of things that left him feeling drained physically and emotionally. Now to be home, to relax only to have his space invaded by the very girl he wanted to have to furthest distance from living under the same roof had to be some cosmic joke on him.  
  
Opening the frosted glass door of his bathroom, he turned on the water to almost scalding hot before stepping inside and shutting the door after him. Gather shampoo in his hands he massaged it in his hair. What a fit his hair stylist would have if he could see the mess Jess had made of it.  
  
Jess. The girl he had not allowed himself to think of for fear of creating some hopeless situation again where he would never have her. He had done it once and he would damn himself before he did it again. It almost had an irony to it that the two of them used to be the best of friends. Jess, Adam and him. The three of them against the world. Would never thought it would happen after his parents divorced and C.J. was born, when his dad spent more time with Rory, Jess and C.J. than he did with Terry. That Jess was Tristan's goddaughter he understood. He accepted that she was going to be in his life as Tristan thought of her as a daughter, probably wished she were his daughter rather than the girl born to Rory by another man. Had accepted that he was more tied to her when they were given a little brother to share when they were seven and Adam had come to live with Tristan and Terry. More shared affection, more love removed from Terry, Tristan's first born and placed into other people.  
  
Up until he was just turning fourteen and Jess was thirteen they had been great friends. Knew every secret about each other, had a bond that to them would never be broken. Until he gave her that damned necklace. A present for her thirteenth birthday. He had stolen his dad's credit card and bought it from a magazine he had found in his mom's old things and then had it redesigned and customed for Jess. It was a gold tigress, his nickname for her when they were going through one of Jess's dad's old books on China and found the animal for the year of their births, hers happened to be a tiger just like Adam since they were born in the same year. A gold tigress about an inch long a half an inch wide made out of pure gold with black opals used for the stripes and a small turquoise jewel for the eye. Behind the creation was flat and he had engraved on it 'Jess the Tigress'. A private joke set on a thin delicate gold chain. It was expensive, beautiful and over-done for a thirteenth birthday present but he remembered how her face lit up when he gave it to her. She had actually kissed him, on the lips, in gratitude for the gift, only to have her throw it back at him four months later when she found him being mauled by Vanessa Ensley and took it all wrong. Sure, he had to admit having an older girl, a sophomore in high school to his 8th grade self, throwing herself at you added a huge boast to your ego that he, being the naive kid he was, couldn't very well turn down. He should have if he really thought about the heart broken look Jess had gotten when she caught them together. How she called him everything she had ever heard claiming he was no better than any other boy, all he wanted was to get in some girls' pants no matter who the girl was. That he was buying his time with her, that was when she literally snatched the necklace off her neck yanking so hard she broke the chain link and threw the chain with the tigress at his chest before leaving. That was when he realized he loved her and she loved him or else neither one of them would have drug things out into a private feud between the two of them over the next three and a half years. Now everytime he got around her he acted like a complete and utter jerk that needed to be beheaded in order to keep his smart-ass comments to himself. The damage was done, had been years ago, when they first talked after she threw the necklace at him and they declared their mutual hatred for one another. Right in the middle of school play they were both in they yelled and shouted at each other until their parents had to drag them off the stage. Red faced, angry words dripping out their mouths until neither one could talk. Sometimes he wondered what he ever saw in that tomboy.  
  
Finishing his shower, washing off the soap off his abs and arms, he let water cascade over his face and following his throat down to his stomach and lower. He didn't need this aggravation. He had enough problems in his life without that infuriating brunette and from now on he was going to prove just how much he didn't want or need that girl in his life. If Adam wanted her he was welcome to her, she meant nothing to him. She hadn't in years and he wasn't about to let her mean something to him now. He was rich, adored, a model and had girls throwing themselves at him wanting him he didn't need one girl who was more trouble than she was worth. Now if only he could shut off his brain and believe that...  
  
~  
  
Jess cried into the cream and blue comforter on her bed, her hair a waterfall on the covers, as her tears dampened the comforter where the water soaked into the thick material. She heard the door to her bedroom open and the muffled footsteps on the carpet, then a hand touched her shoulder and she glanced up from her hair covered face, pushing stray hair back and using the back of her hand to wipe at her tears.  
  
Concern filled the face of Adam, as he had told C.J. that he'd look in on Jess. His young cousin didn't need to witness his sister's distraught at the heartless words that had spouted out of Terry's lips. Sitting at the edge of her bed, Adam saw her glance away embarrassed that she had gotten caught crying like some silly airhead girl who had nothing better to do than cry over a boy who didn't like her.  
  
"He hates me that much.....to say those horrible things about my mother...." Jess's tone was soft, quiet like all the voice was out of it leaving a soft, empty shell.  
  
"Terry doesn't hate you, Jess."  
  
Her eyes were disbelieving.  
  
"Oh, yeah? Have you tried telling him that? And he said it right in front of C.J. did he even care what those words could do to our brother? Does he care about anyone but himself? Has he ever?"  
  
"Jess..." Adam moved her long, silky hair over her shoulder, "Jess, he's not himself. Terry's been through alot."  
  
"Modeling is such a hardship. Being adored, pawed, sought after," Jess scoffed, "I can see how that was just so hard on his huge ego."  
  
"I'm not making excuses for him but Terry's had to deal with alot of things that he shouldn't have had to. Divorce when he was just a kid, having a half-brother, being suspended and sent to France."  
  
"Life's not perfect, I accept that. Terry's a tough guy, he's been through this and he was still a nice person."  
  
"What he said was wrong, very wrong to say those things about your mom and I can't say that I'm all that happen with him either but he's not a bad guy."  
  
"Could have fooled me......Adam, do you mind? I want to go to sleep."  
  
Adam nodded his understanding.  
  
"Have you talked to Nathan yet?"  
  
"No and I don't want to have to talk to him just yet. He'll hear it in my voice and he'll get all protective."  
  
Adam smiled, walking to the door.  
  
"We care about you, Jess, we almost lost you once."  
  
"I know, Adam, but I'm a big girl I can take care of myself pretty well."  
  
"That red went well with his outfit, don't you think?"  
  
Jess giggled at the image as Adam closed the door behind him. Sensing eyes on him he turned to see Terry's expressionless face staring at him from Terry's bedroom door.  
  
"Haven't you done enough?"  
  
"Telling her what a horrible person I am, cousin? Always the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress, don't you ever get tired of playing the hero?"  
  
"To your villain?"  
  
"Does she even realize that you're in love with her? Probably not seeing as how clueless the both of you are, maybe you deserve each other. Though last time I checked she was into the tall and dark type of guy."  
  
Adam knew that Terry had seen Jess with Nathan two years ago, when Jess had met Nathan.  
  
"The girl is fickle, I'd watch my step if I were you."  
  
"But I'm not you. I actually care how others see me because the way you portray yourself isn't all that flattering, too bad the camera doesn't show how cruel you can be," Adam headed to his own room, "oh and I might try acting like a brother and check on C.J. see if the kid is scarred from his brother's verbal abuse of his mother."  
  
Adam slammed his bedroom door after him.  
  
Terry stood in the hall a slight grimace on his face, then he heard the sniffles and quiet sobs coming from Jess's room that he leaned his forehead against the white door.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jess." Terry whispered.  
  
~  
  
As Jess woke up on Sunday, she felt like she had just gone to bed and winced that she hadn't even gotten under the blankets last night. Still on top of the covers and still in last night's clothes. Taking a bath in the Jacuzzi tub she eased her muscles into working and wished yesterday away then once she got out she called Nathan and talked about tomorrow when school would start. C.J. spent the day following her and Adam around. No one wanted to talk about last night and no one brought it up. Terry stayed out of their way and that's how they wanted it.....Until school started the next day.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
Is this any better? Figured out some problems yet? More to come in the next chapter: Chilton  
  
Date: December 16, 2001 


	2. Chilton

Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 2: Chilton  
  
Written by: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Obviously someone needed to inform the head of the Uniform department at Chilton that plaid was out, Jessica's thought came as she examined her reflection in the full length mirror that had on the outside wood with the engraved words of: 'Mirror, Mirror On The Wall'. Her hair was pulled into a braid, still wet from her shower, her eyes slightly outlined in black eye pencil with the uniform of Chilton Prep Academy on her person. Blue, green and white plaid skirt, blue blazer with white button down top with a blue snap tie each shirt and especially the blazer had the school emblem on the right chest pocket. Sticking her tongue out at her reflection, amused how childish she looked, she sighed.  
  
"This is as good as it's gonna get." Jess told the mirror, before slipping her plain black shoes over the knee high white socks, grabbing her book bag that had once been a cow, as the book bag was tanned leather a gift from Tristan.  
  
Going down the stairs, she heard the unmistakable sound of a whistle then laughed at Adam's fingers in his mouth that let out that piercing sound.  
  
"Aren't you a hottie? May I drool over you?" The sandy-haired boy asked.  
  
"Please, no drooling, I just had this outfit pressed." Jess remarked in a very cold Chiltonite voice.  
  
A grin spread over his face, as his own outfit of slacks, shirt and blazer matched her own school outfit. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Terry lounging against the archway of the living room, his blazer held in one hand, the sleeves of his shirt rolled back and tie loosened at his neck. He always looked good no matter what he wore and today was no exception. A skid on the marble flooring announced C.J.'s presence, in his own blue and gray school uniform for Chilton Elementary.  
  
"Well, good morning, Genius, figure out what a alarm clock is for?" Jess commented.  
  
His eyes narrowed, became slits at his sister, stifling a yawn he was trying to get his own little blazer on.  
  
"I hate school."  
  
Terry's soft chuckle came as he put his hands on C.J.'s shoulders, stilling his younger brother, and then getting him all situated into his blazer.  
  
"And kid, you've got seven more grades to go."  
  
C.J. groaned.  
  
"You're lucky, Terry, this is your last year."  
  
"How true."  
  
Tristan came out of the dinning room, newspaper in hand that looked suspiciously like he had been reading the comics but Jess reframed from saying anything.  
  
"I see they haven't decided that fashion was needed yet." Tristan commented taking in the four uniform clad kids.  
  
"I think who ever thinks this is in must have no fashion sense."  
  
"Well, whose taking C.J. to school?"  
  
Terry smiled.  
  
"I will."  
  
Adam and Jess's faces showed surprise but neither said anything.  
  
"Alright. If you guys get tied up after school you all have my cell and the house number."  
  
As the front door opened, C.J. and Terry leaving to the garage, Adam went next while Jess kissed Tristan's cheek.  
  
"Try not to kill him at school, will you?"  
  
"I make no promises." Jess replied, before leaving.  
  
The dust left by Terry's over-stylized silver Ferrari met her, as she continued her walk into the five-car garage where Adam was opening the door to his baby. A white Porsche with red flames on the hood and sides of the car, customized and Jess had to stop from laughing at how he talked to his car like it was a person. Seeing her silent laughter he scolded her.  
  
"Hey, don't knock my baby, alright? Cost me a pretty penny I'll tell you that."  
  
"I have no doubt it did," Jess opened the simple Mercedes Benz, a dark blue, getting in and mumbling under her breath, "Boys and their toys."  
  
~  
  
Driving down the long stretch of tall green trees, manicured lawns, outrageous homes and fancy cars Jess found herself at a gas station, buying a six-pack of Pepsi and an instant cup-of-soup for lunch. Sliding back into her 'preppy' car, she headed to the high school that honestly looked like it belonged on 'Haunted Houses', only it wasn't a house but a school.  
  
Private entrance led to the parking lot where she parked next to another Mercedes, cut the engine and got out stuffing the Pepsi's, now only four due to her not eating anything for breakfast and needed a caffeine pick-me- up, in her bag along with the cup-of-soup she headed up to the school grounds.  
  
Impressive. You practically expected gargoyles to fly down and growl at you that was how welcoming the Chilton campus was.  
  
A shiver passed down her spine then crushed as she heard the loud, obnoxious music blasting from one of those 'think-we-are-better-than-thou' boys vehicles that it didn't surprise her all that much to see that the courtyard was a mass of the student population all in the uniform listening as if they had never heard music before. Untrue since a great many of them had trust funds that amounted to where they could buy their own record label.  
  
"It's like he never left." Stated the slightly annoyed female voice beside Jess, who it turned out to be was Hillary. Hillary was short, black haired, bespeckled daughter of Lane Kim and Henry Wang, who had been a Chiltonite while Lane was Jess's mom's best friend.  
  
"I know, where does he get off?" an hostile yet amused voice of another female, this time a curly red head by the name of Samantha Myers, resident gossip queen of only good gossip and one of their friends.  
  
"So the prodigal son returns, thought it was only rumors." This time outright anger laced the male voice speaking, that Jess felt comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one that didn't like the fact that it was Terry who was blasting music or being back for that matter.  
  
Jess's eyes caught the deep brown ones of Jonathan 'Nathan' Davenport, resident Bad Boy in the other sense of the word. Bad Boy by reputation rather than actually doing bad things like Terry had.  
  
"What I want to know is how let him in? Don't we have leash laws?" Hillary asked, getting grins from the other three at her joke.  
  
"What's St. Clare doing over there?" Nathan pointed out, his height giving him more advantage than the rest of the group.  
  
"Adam's probably trying to talk sense into the idiot."  
  
All four had been talking that none of them noticed the music had stopped or that Terry was now standing behind them.  
  
"Should I be amazed at my jump in rank? First I'm a dog now I'm an idiot."  
  
Hillary blushed at having him, although a jerk, addressing her. She was only human and he was hot.  
  
"If the shoe fits." Jessica told him sweetly.  
  
"And if it isn't the Protector, sorry we haven't formally met as last time I think Gilmore and I were a little preoccupied, weren't we?" his suggestive tone made it seem like they were doing something sordid.  
  
"Arguing with each other has a way of making a person short-sighted." Nathan's voice was cold, firm, and protective, a hand rested on Jess's shoulder.  
  
Terry's eyes followed Nathan's hand to where it was placed, taking in that Jess didn't object to the contact.  
  
"I'm Terrance DuGrey, by the way." Terry greeted.  
  
"I know who you are, DuGrey, and my name is Jonathan Davenport."  
  
"Nathan, we need to get to class." Samantha interrupted this engrossing meeting.  
  
"Better run along, wouldn't want you to get suspended on your first day back, would you?"  
  
Jess let her three friends get ahead of her, but all of them including people still filing into the double doors of the school as well as some still goofing off in the courtyard heard her next remark.  
  
"No, that's your job, isn't it?"  
  
Adam caught up with Terry just in time to hear Jess's words.  
  
"Already started on her?" Adam's voice was frustrated.  
  
"I keep life interesting, cousin."  
  
Disappearing behind the doors Adam sighed and followed.  
  
~  
  
"I can't believe he was right behind us and we didn't notice." Hillary complained at having been caught insulting him.  
  
As they got to the lockers, Jess yanked hers open and stuffed her binders, two books and then as she went to put the Pepsi in it, her hand was caught by Hillary's.  
  
"You know that caffeine isn't something you need to survive."  
  
"Talking to the wrong girl, Hill, I'm a Gilmore. I need an I.V. of caffeine, but since I can't and it would get too expensive I settle for Pepsi and an occasional coffee."  
  
"Right. So, tell me what it's like living with him and Adam? I'm dying to know."  
  
Jess shook her head at her friend's enthusiasm but remained silent.  
  
"Do they walk around in towels? Have you seen them naked."  
  
Jess's shocked stare met Hillary's inquiring face.  
  
"What do you think the DuGrey Estate is? A nudist colony?"  
  
"Girl you have two, count it two," Hillary held up two fingers, "of the hottest, not to mention single guys in this school living under the same roof as you and you can honestly tell me you haven't seen them in their bare essentials?"  
  
"No," Jess slammed her locker shut, "I haven't."  
  
"What are you waiting for?"  
  
Jess and Hillary walked down the hall to first period, European History, passing by very avidly staring girls.  
  
"I'm not some sex starved pervert. I don't need to sneak around and catch them when they aren't in full clothing. You have given this entirely too much thought, Hill."  
  
"Jess," Hillary continued, lowering her voice as they entered the classroom and getting seats in back, "inquiring minds want to know."  
  
"The only mind that seems to be inquiring is yours, Hill."  
  
Jess sat in the desk, took out her needed materials and saw a huffy Hillary doing the same while asking a thousand questions more until the bell rang for class to start.  
  
Jess paid attention, took notes, wrote down the homework assignment after the teacher, Mrs. Quincy stated it was never too early for homework. At lunch, Jess got to the usual table that had Kyle, the guy that she had a crush on, already sitting at it. He was star of the football team last year, elected Captain this year, as he was a senior, with emerald green eyes, black soft hair that was straight and a California tan. In other words, he was perfect but unfortunately for her Nathan was his best friend and Kyle thought of her as a sister. She was really starting to hate that six-letter word.  
  
"Hey, Kyle." Jess said, sitting across from in at the table.  
  
He removed his eyes from 'The Franklin', the school newspaper, to meet Jess's turquoise gem eyes.  
  
"Jess, thought you'd be trying out for," he nodded to the paper in front of him.  
  
"Sorry but me and the editor don't see eye to eye."  
  
"Who? Paige? She's okay, a little obsessed but okay."  
  
"Obsessed with the paper and Nathan."  
  
Kyle's eyes lit in acknowledgement.  
  
"Jealous of you and Nathan, huh?"  
  
"That's exactly it, there isn't any me and Nathan. He's my br..."  
  
Kyle lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"He's like a brother to me."  
  
"Seems like you've got enough of those already." Kyle glanced behind her to see Terry and Adam entering.  
  
"Terry is NOT my brother." Jess said between clenched teeth.  
  
"I take it there isn't any love lost between the two of you?"  
  
"Love? Absolute hatred, undiluted, thank you."  
  
"Who do you hate?" Sam's question came and then saw Terry walking toward the 'In-Group' table, "never mind, dumb question."  
  
"He wasn't such a bad guy sophomore year until he said he saw his girlfriend with some other guy and that got him all bent out of shape."  
  
"Probably got sick of his attitude." Jess thought aloud.  
  
"Where are Nathan and Hillary? Aren't they supposed to be here?" Sam wondered.  
  
"Nathan is having a talk with Coach," Kyle offered, "and Hillary said that she was going to 'beg and plead with Mrs. Fieldings about getting her out of gym'."  
  
"Sounds like Hill. So Kyle, why are you sitting over here? Why aren't you with the rest of the jocks?"  
  
"Studying."  
  
That got the girls to exchange guilty looks about bothering him.  
  
"We'll just.."  
  
"No, I'm done. For today. Have to keep my grades up or off the team, out of the family, you know the drill."  
  
"Say, Kyle," Sam's voice becoming reporter-like, "who are you planning on taking to the Homecoming dance?"  
  
"Sam! It's like two months away."  
  
"So!"  
  
Kyle watched the girls then shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Ask me next month."  
  
"And you have it ladies, Kyle is still available on the auction block for Homecoming."  
  
Jess put her hand to her lips to cover her laugh at Kyle's expression at Sam's announcement that had every sophomore, junior and senior girl running over to their table. Murder leapt into Kyle's eyes at Sam.  
  
"I'll get you for this, Sam." Kyle promised, as he had to quickly get out of his chair and backed away from the girls who seemed to be looking at him like he was a tasty hamburger.  
  
"Promises, promises."  
  
As they watched him leave, both girls laughed out loud.  
  
"That was an evil thing to do, Sam."  
  
"I know, this will just want to make him take a certain somebody more."  
  
"Did you..you did not just set this up so I'd look good in comparison, did you?"  
  
"How well you know me, Jess dear."  
  
"Samantha!"  
  
"He is a babe magnet, not unlike DuGrey, only Kyle is teddy-bear and DuGrey is a barracuda. Thought you'd might like the change."  
  
"I can get my own dates, thanks."  
  
"Didn't think you couldn't, Jess, but you do have that shy streak to you and any little bit helps a shy friend."  
  
The entrance of Hillary, passing by a stammering Kyle with a flock of teenage girls after him, had questions pouring out of her mouth before she got to the table.  
  
"So? What'd I miss?"  
  
~  
  
Across the lunchroom was Terry, his tousled blond hair and blue eyed person being subjected to many a wondering female eye at having a model in their midst. Adam was sitting with him, although he could tell his cousin would rather be where all the laughing was coming from at Jess's table. Eric Mason, Zach Richardson and Brant Harding weren't exactly the most simulating conversationalist talking mostly about what girl looked good from last year, what car they now had, the usual rich boy talk.  
  
Seeing Jess come into the room, watching her walk over to the football star he remember, Kyle Strickland, who seemed just as nice and chummy with the females as he was in sophomore year. Like a stuffed animal girls wanted him as he was sweet, chivalrous and nice. No personality at all as far as Terry was concerned, no depth. As Jess's eyes rest on Kyle he could almost see that she was being drawn in by Kyle's effortless niceties. Then the other girl, a very disheveled red head, made the announcement and all hell broke lose from a lot of girls that obviously took the announcement to heart about Kyle's free state for Homecoming.  
  
Adam was quietly chuckling at the seen beside him, the dolt. Big deal if Kyle didn't have a date, he wouldn't know what to do with one if he did have one.  
  
"Strickland sure has a way with the ladies." Zach commented.  
  
"Pathetic. Has to get another girl to announce he needs a date?" Brant scoffed.  
  
"He spent the summer in his room catching up on his 'reading'." Eric informed them.  
  
All three seemed utterly disgusted that Terry found it almost funny. Shallowness was a part of the Chilton way, pettiness too. Adam's face registered anger but was quickly hidden as these boys were considered 'Elite' and any sign of weakness was sure to be exploited.  
  
"Have to admit that Gilmore chick has gotten better every year." Brant admitted, glancing over to the table in question, "though her friends need work."  
  
"Wang and Myers not exactly party material."  
  
"She does have that touch-me-not attitude to her."  
  
Then Zach turned to Terry.  
  
"Don't mind if we get to know Gilmore a little better do you? Having her all to yourself in that big house must have some major advantages."  
  
"Some slight ones."  
  
Adam's hazel eyes were practically sizzling with outrage.  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
His quick escape led him over to Jess, who Terry saw just welcomed him into their group like a long lost friend.  
  
"Or is it Adam that has her number?"  
  
"Believe me, gentlemen, that's one cat whose claws sharpen faster than you can keep them cut."  
  
~  
  
Nathan stopped by Jess's locker right after the last bell rang to make sure that she had a ride home. Running a hand through his thick dark hair, he waited until he saw her. She grinned openly at him, before letting him do that twice pound thing that he did so well that she didn't have to fight with the stupid locker door.  
  
"Thanks," Jess took out her needed books, placed others away and let him slam the door shut.  
  
"Gotta ride home?"  
  
"As much as I would love to climb into that Wreck-On-Wheels you call a car," Jess teased, "I'm afraid I'll have to pass."  
  
"Who's giving you a ride? Not DuGrey, is it?" Nathan's tone was hostile.  
  
"No not DuGrey, I wouldn't ride with him and not Adam either, Tristan seemed to think I needed wheels of my own and presented it to me as a early seventeenth birthday present."  
  
"Your birthday isn't until February."  
  
"Don't knock the gift, Nathan, it's a beautiful machine, come on I'll show you."  
  
"Wait," he held up the hand that had taken his to lead him away, "are you okay about DuGrey?"  
  
"I'm fine, really," Jess sighed at his instant protective mood, she used the tips of her fingers to brush aside a dark hair from his forehead, "he's just ..he makes me mad is all. Nothing I can't handle."  
  
"If you need me to.."  
  
"Beat him up? Sorry but elementary school tactics didn't work then and they won't work now, just give him more reason to ridicule me."  
  
"He still loves you, you know."  
  
Jess glanced surprised at him.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"He's an idiot if he doesn't."  
  
"Must be my looks, have guys falling at my feet all day."  
  
"I can see that in the paper now 'Beauty of Gilmore Makes Men Faint'."  
  
"Think Paige will print it?"  
  
"I'll force her to."  
  
"She'll listen if it's you."  
  
"Still won't let you on the paper, huh?"  
  
"No, so I paint instead of write. Still creative and more colors."  
  
"Come on, Michelangelo show me this work of art car you have."  
  
Neither one noticed the golden blond watching with interest as they left.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Another chapter done..sorry took so long and that this isn't as long as I'd like.will hopefully get next chapter out sooner.  
  
December 28, 2001 


	3. Problems

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Especially those of you who took time to e- mail me, you know who you are. Now on with the next chapter.  
  
Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 3: Problems  
  
Written by: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Three weeks passed unfortunately it didn't go without incident. It seemed now that Terry was back at good old Chilton he was determined to make up for lost time, starting with every attractive female in the junior and senior class. His arm always casually draped around the shoulders of some vapid girl who had a smug grin on her face that she was being paid attention to by the resident stud of the school. For such an important school they seemed to let anyone with the right dollar amount in their bank account onto the school grounds.  
  
Today was no different, Jess had seen His-Godliness at least three times, each time with a different girl, and now walking out of her Chemistry class she caught sight of him yet again. The sounds of making out came across the hallway, mixed with the chatter of the students and scoffs of feet on the tiled flooring, as if it was targeted straight for her eardrums. Disgusted with him, she walked to her locker, only three down from the position he currently had his new conquest pressed against his mouth devouring hers with single mindedness.  
  
"I see someone has put lip gloss to good use today," Sam kidded, as she came to rest her back next to the lockers on the opposite side of Jess's lockers that wasn't infested by PDA.  
  
"I could have sworn tonsil-hockey was outlawed this early in the morning," Hillary added, standing directly behind Jess, who closed her locker after putting away her morning books in order to get her afternoon class books out.  
  
"Obviously not. Don't they have closets for this purpose?" Jess asked as the three walked down the hall, out of the corner of her eye she saw him finally pull back from the giggling blond to cast a wink over his shoulder at her.  
  
Sneering at him they went to class, as it was only passing period and Jess put the antics of lip locking by Terry out of her head.  
  
Not until lunchtime did she finally have a reason to go off on his Studliness.  
  
Out of her last class before lunch, she grabbed her usual Pepsi's that now had a designated spot in her locker, entering the cafeteria, which was lit by the sunlight that had the nerve to shine when she was so in the mood for over-cast skies and lightning storms. A wave by Adam directed her attention to their table when a passing flyer, printed on top quality paper with silver lettering on it, fell at her feet.  
  
Bending down to pick it up with a thought that even something as simple as a school flyer wasn't allowed to be ostentatious as she righted her stature she found that it was not a flyer for something for school but rather an after school activity. An activity that included drinking and loud music also known as a party.  
  
That wasn't what now had her stocking towards her table like a cat after its prey but rather just who was giving the party. None other than her nemesis, Terry. At the house on Friday, which was two days away and the day that Tristan was scheduled to be out of town until Sunday. Dropping her bag on the top of the table, the sound like a drop of a heavy book that startled the occupants, before she gripped the flyer in her hand. Turning she went in a direct path to Terry's table, where another member of the Terry-Worshipers, was almost making her way into the seat of Terry's lap. A small smile displayed itself over Jess's face, the rejected sound of Adam and Kyle calling her name didn't register, as she put her hands flat on the top of the table where Terry and his cronies were sitting.  
  
"Terry is it possible for me to have a private," Jess's eyes narrowed at the girl who was all huffy now, "word with you."  
  
"About?" His casual attitude was making her angrier by the second.  
  
"Oh, a little something, I am sure that the latest acquisition into the Love-Terry fan club can do without you for two seconds if you can manage to get her hand off your thigh that is."  
  
Low whistles came from the other three males at the table, one looking at her with avid interest, before Terry smiled indulgently at her like she was a pest that was tolerated and needed to be subdued.  
  
"I am sure whatever it is it can wait."  
  
"Oh I'm sure with your busy schedule it would seem that way but the matter of whether I let on to a certain parental unit of yours just what you are playing to have on Friday amounts to our discussion right now."  
  
"Look, Terry doesn't have to go anywhere with you." The girl finally spoke up, her voice grading on Jess's nerves as it sounded like that of a five- year-old whose voice hadn't developed.  
  
"Was I talking to you? If you put your hands any higher on his leg you might be sadly disappointed at the utter lack of equipment that Terry is packing in that region of his body."  
  
That got his immediate move from the table, his hand harshly clutching her elbow and escorting her outside with instant talk at their backs. Almost throwing her arm away as if she was repulsive to him, he glared at her with murder in his eyes.  
  
"Ready to deal with me now, DuGrey?"  
  
"I don't even want to know why you act like a shrew at the most inappropriate times in my life but let me make one thing absolutely clear, Gilmore," his body moved with the grace and ability to dominate the space it took up causing her to take an involuntary step backwards against the railing that overlooked the courtyard below, "I will not have you over stepping your bounds on my life or my activities. My life is my own and if I want to throw a party at my house let me say that again in case you missed it, my house, I will. You are a guest, a thorn in my spine, for the next two months or so, I've let you get away with those looks you send my way since school started. I don't care what you think of me but I do care when you try to make me look like a fool. Stay the hell away from me, Gilmore, or I will make your life Hell because as much as you'd like to think it is now it's nothing compared to what I can do to it. When I get through you won't even have your pitiful friends to turn to, you'll be ostracized. An outcast to outcasts," Terry took a step closer to make his presence felt by her more clearly, "and if you ever seek to impose your self-righteous opinions of me in public again I will cut you till you bleed. Understand?"  
  
"Perfectly," she congratulated herself that she sounded calmer than she felt, "and if you think that I'll put up with you being the complete conceited jackass you just proved yourself to be you've got another thing coming. I'm not afraid of you, DuGrey, we went through this once and I survived and if you think that I'll become one of your pathetic followers who thinks the sun rises and falls by your presence I suggest you take a good look in the mirror. Like you said, I am a guest in your father's house," she empathized that the house was his father's not his, "and as long as I and my are subjected to your womanizing whoring I suggest you get used to me commenting on them. Not everyone thinks your gods gift to womankind, DuGrey. You aren't even close. If you want to know a party, next time let me in on it so I don't have to go all Katherine in your presence. I can vent outside where you would appreciate it more. I want peace between us for the most part," Jess let a small smile come to her lips, "and if I have to put you in your place in order to keep us on equal terms rest assured that I am up to the task. Have a great lunch, DuGrey, I'm sure the hand job you were about to receive is still available if you need her services."  
  
Walking around him, her whole body tense as she had stared straight into his stormy-blue eyes the entire time and saw his jaw clench so tight she honestly thought he was going to break it.  
  
"One more thing, Gilmore," he called his back to her, hands wrapped around the railing no doubt wishing it was her neck, "I'm having a party on Friday. Say one word to Tristan about it and I'll do more than just talk to you next time."  
  
"That wasn't so hard now was it? Nothing better than being prepared for the drunks of the 'upper class' visiting the residence I'm staying at on Friday." Ignoring his threat, she replied.  
  
She walked into the cafeteria, head held high, the talking muffled as she blocked out everything but the need to get to her table and pound her head against her heavy book bag. What the hell was she thinking talking to him like that in the middle of the cafeteria? It wasn't like her. She was passive-aggressive, or at least she thought she was but when she was around him she reverted to being a complete witch. Some things never changed.  
  
"If I didn't know better I'd think that you actually were jealous just then," Adam commented the moment she sat down, thankful that Kyle had left the table and Nathan was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Jealous? No. I just become this demon when I'm around him, not a pretty picture."  
  
"Oh, I don't know about that. You were holding your own and those words that came out of your mouth were defiantly rememberable. How do you know so much about just where Cindy Rodriguez's hand was?"  
  
Groaning, she set her head on the tabletop in defeat that she had let everyone hear what she said.  
  
"If it makes you feel better Cindy was giving you death glares since you got back in." Hillary chimed in, taking a large bite out of her sandwich.  
  
"Thanks I need more people thinking that I'm anything more than an A student that just wants to be on school paper, graduate in the top percentage of the class and go to art school, preferably in Europe. Anyone else thinking I'm complete deranged?"  
  
"Oh those guys at Terry's table have watched you this entire time, kinda of creepy but lustfully and I heard one of the 'Popular' girls say that it was about time someone got the nerve to call Cindy a slut practically in front of the entire school."  
  
"Wonderful. Glad to be of help."  
  
Adam shook his head, a smile wide on his face until he saw the angered face of Terry, a stare meant to kill anything in its wake directly at Jess's back.  
  
"So the talk went well?" Sam asked hopefully with amusement at also seeing Terry.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it. Please," Jess's voice muffled by her arms lying around her head as if to cocoon herself into that small space, "can't we talk about something else?"  
  
"I think you've done enough talking today, Jess." Hillary stated and lunch ended.  
  
~  
  
Nathan was passing the large amount of the student population that were in the varied array of going home mode. He had heard about Jess's little outburst when he got back from a discussion with the guidance counselor about his grades. As a senior he had classes with DuGrey and found himself being the usual ignored subject of study by DuGrey and his pals though this time it was different.  
  
"You should tell your little girlfriend to take her PMS pills before school, Davenport," Zachary Richardson hollered across the class, as everyone had finished the test they had just taken and were allowed free time.  
  
"She sure seemed frustrated, not giving her enough?" Brant Harding barked.  
  
"Don't you Neanderthals have better things to do than accost him when people are still trying to finish the test?" a white-blond girl with disdainful hazel-mahogany eyes interrupted.  
  
"Didn't think any love was lost between you and Gilmore, Paige?" Terry drawled, leaning in his seat.  
  
"Doesn't mean I want to listen to you small minded males talk about her sexual habits now does it?" Paige Whitaker countered.  
  
"Interesting and just what is your interest in Gilmore or rather," Terry's calculating smile appeared, "maybe its in what she believes is hers." His tone suggestive and he nodded to Nathan beside her.  
  
A tint of pink showed on her cheeks but she didn't defer.  
  
"Why don't you go finish your administrations on Cindy, I'm sure that she'd welcome your self-absorbed self since you can't get Gilmore."  
  
His eyes narrowed dangerously at her.  
  
"How nice of you to say so, I'm sure its one of the reasons you have guys pounding down your bedroom door, Whitaker, offering up girls who actually know how to please a guy."  
  
Nathan glared at Terry as Paige shut up and turned her attention back to the book on her desktop.  
  
"I can see why only brainless bimbos go for you, DuGrey, a girl with any sense would keep her distance. No lasting relationships must be a Mother issue, but that's right," Nathan's voice could have frozen ice, "she dates guys your age. Makes sense seeing as how her son is about as superficial as she is."  
  
The landing of the desk that Terry had toppled over to get at Nathan laid abandoned on the ground as classmates quickly moved out of their desks as he barreled straight into Nathan's chest knocking them both backward with Nathan still in his desk. The teacher, a skinny skeleton of about seventy, tried to calm the students as the boys plummeted into one another with their fists. Cracking of flesh against bone sounded off and caused girls to shriek. Arms came out of nowhere and wrapped around Terry's arms in a hold as other arms came out to pull Nathan up and hold both boys away from one another.  
  
Enraged eyes of Maxwell Medina, the Headmaster of Chilton, met the two boys glaze as the Coach and one of the other teachers had both boys held. The other teacher, Mr. Austin, was interrupted from teaching and had left his class that included Jess, Hillary and Sam in it now all in the hall along with the rest of the class wondering what was going on.  
  
"Suspension. Now get them to my office now." The Headmaster announced, as they passed out of the doorway and into the corridor. Nathan's face was all black and blue setting in; his left eye was showing signs of swelling shut while Terry looked just as bad. Jess came forward to see Nathan as Coach let go of the boy.  
  
"Nathan, what." Jess demanded only to see him hold up a hand.  
  
"Later, Jess."  
  
"Wouldn't want to involve you in this now would we?" Terry taunted, also having been let go of Mr. Austin, though the two teachers and Headmaster were walking with them.  
  
"You idiot!" Jess called to Terry, only to have the Headmaster turn and glance at Jess.  
  
"I think, Miss Gilmore, I would like a talk with you as well about that inappropriate behavior in the cafeteria earlier. Follow us."  
  
Hillary and Sam both blanched as Jess swallowed the lump in her throat and followed them.  
  
~  
  
Max Medina sat behind his desk, having both boys set in the twin chairs in front of him while he let Jess stay out in the waiting area. Terry had a cut lip; multiple bruises on his right cheekbone and also had a growing black eye though his was on his right.  
  
"Glad to see that even now you both can work out your disagreements like gentlemen," his voice laced in sarcasm, "I don't want to know what caused your argument and the fight because frankly I don't care. What I care about is your disturbing my school not to mention your class and destroying school property to get at one another. This school does not tolerate such behavior and I shouldn't even have to be speaking to either one of you on this matter, as both your records are not the cleanest I've ever seen. In fact one more incident like this and I will expel you both," Max's eyes resting on Terry, "and the fact that you know I will leaves me wondering if maybe allowing you back wasn't the brightest idea. You cannot seem to keep yourself out of trouble whether with Mr. Davenport here or with your verbal battles with Miss Gilmore. So from now until Winter Break which is almost two and a half months away you both will serve detention everyday after school together for two hours. If this gets in the way of your other commitments that is too bad," Max pointed his look at Nathan, "the Coach has given you a chance to be on the football team although he has moved practice to six you will still be missing an hour everyday after school that I'm sure you will have to make up to him. For you, Mr. DuGrey, I suggest you keep whatever problems you have out of my school because your father and I have had this talk and although I agreed at the time to let you back into school I made sure that if you cause more than one incident that caused you to visit my office you would be gone. No expectations. I want you both out of my office, the detention will start today with Mr. Esters class that you will clean up all the Chemistry cabinets and wash everything till in shines. I will notify both your parents and for the next two days you are both suspended. I want you here after school is over, however to do your detention on both days. Gather you things and I will see you back here when school is over. Good day gentlemen," as the door opened Jess stood as both boys passed her, "please Miss Gilmore, come in."  
  
Shutting the door behind her was Nathan.  
  
"I'll call you." He whispered before the heavy oak door shut.  
  
Sitting in front of Mr. Medina, he smiled slightly at her.  
  
"I won't keep you long, Miss Gilmore," he offered, "I just wanted to let you know that we do have a policy on yelling and defaming anywhere on campus. I am sure that it was in the heat of the moment as you have never showed in any instance to be one to openly state your opinions so vocally. As whatever it was Mr. DuGrey had done that set you off next time I suggest you talk to him away from prying eyes and ears."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Another thing before you leave, Miss Gilmore, we are throwing a Halloween Mask Ball and we need some creative people to work on decorations, feel up to it?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"See Miss Whitaker," his eyes were cast on his paperwork in front of him so he didn't see the grimace on her face, as she stood up his eyes caught hers, "oh and try to keep a reign on your brother, Miss Gilmore, I have a feeling that you'll have more luck with him than I will."  
  
"Terry isn't my brother." Jess stated.  
  
"I wasn't talking about Mr. DuGrey."  
  
Jess nodded, blushing.  
  
"You may go, Miss Gilmore."  
  
She left and sighed with relief as she got outside his door only to have his secretary stare at her that she quickly hightailed it out of his office.  
  
~  
  
As soon as she went around the corner she gave a startled gasp as both Hillary and Sam seemed to appear out of nowhere.  
  
"What happened? Are you in trouble? Did you know that both boys are suspended until Monday?" Hillary said quickly.  
  
"Got reprimanded, no, and no I didn't."  
  
"So what did he want?"  
  
"To tell me not to screech at Terry in public and to tell me that I'm needed for the Halloween Mask Ball decorations."  
  
"A Halloween Mask Ball?"  
  
"Gee, guys, I thought you knew everything?"  
  
"Awesome, a real chance to dress up. So come on and let's talk."  
  
Each girl took one of Jess's arms and led her to their next class.  
  
~  
  
Entering the DuGrey household was to walk into World War III. The minute she opened the front door she was bombarded by Adam and C.J. leading her upstairs to the railing that overlooked downstairs to watch and listen to the verbal set down by Tristan to Terry.  
  
"Are you in trouble? Cause if you are then you'll be next in that office." Adam declared.  
  
"No, I'm not and why are you two listening in? It's eavesdropping."  
  
"Grow up, Jess, everyone does it." C.J. informed his elder sister.  
  
"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Grown Up. I'm gonna go put my stuff in my room."  
  
"Alright but hurry up." Adam called after her.  
  
Opening her bedroom door she tossed her book bag next to her desk, pulled off her uniform and pulled on comfortable jeans and a gray t-shirt, walking back down the hall to where the two still watched when the sudden opening of the den door caused her to look over as well.  
  
"..we agreed. One more stunt like that, Terry and you are going back to France."  
  
"Alright, already, Dad." Terry said, his walk that of a man on the warpath.  
  
"You three can stop staring down at me now."  
  
So distracted by the interaction of Terry and Tristan none of the three saw Terry look up at them.  
  
"Sorry, Terry." Adam said guiltily.  
  
"What for? Everyone eavesdrops."  
  
"See!" C.J. told his sister.  
  
"I can see where you learned that philosophy."  
  
"If it isn't the Comforting Queen, why aren't you with Davenport soothing his aches that I put there?"  
  
"Get bent, DuGrey."  
  
As if on queue the phone rang and Mrs. Fitz called for Jess to pick it up. Finding the phone that was in the middle of the hallway on a small table she picked it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Jess, meet me at Luke's in fifteen minutes."  
  
"I might have homework to do or something you can't just assume."  
  
"Will you for once just do what I ask?"  
  
"I'll be right there, Nathan."  
  
She set the phone in the cradle as she turned and almost came into chest-to- chest contact with Terry.  
  
"I see that Beck and Call Boy rang you. Going?"  
  
"Not that it's any business of yours."  
  
"Not even going to ask how I'm doing, I'm crushed."  
  
"I'm sure you'll find some other female to lick your wounds for you."  
  
"Why go looking when I have one right here?" Terry wondered, his hands on the small table and his presence too close for her comfort.  
  
Ignoring him she went to her room and grabbed her car keys, jingling in her hand and her jacket before heading back downstairs calling out a goodbye to Tristan, Adam and C.J. who were now on the couch in the living room.  
  
"Where are you going?" Tristan asked.  
  
"To Luke's. I have the cell with me."  
  
He nodded satisfied.  
  
~  
  
When she pulled her car up to Luke's she got out and headed into the diner. Her grandmother at the counter as usual begging Luke for another cup of coffee while Luke went around the counter upon spying Jess.  
  
"He's up in the apartment. He got pretty torn up in the face, who'd he get in fight with?"  
  
"DuGrey."  
  
That got Lorelai's attention.  
  
"Nate got in a fight with Playgirl Model?"  
  
"I'm going up to see him." Jess called ignoring Lorelai's comment.  
  
Climbing the stairs, she knocked on the small apartment, that used to belong to Luke located right above the diner but was usually just a hang out now that he lived with Lorelai. Opening the door at no answer, she found him lying on the couch bed, ice in a washcloth on his face the television on MTV and turned up that it drowned out any other sound.  
  
"Now I know why you can't hear me." Jess announced, turning the knob on the television volume down before moving beside him to look at his face.  
  
Taking the washcloth away she winced at his face.  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"You look like a bad makeup commercial for people who can't put on the right amount of eye shadow."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem," she tossed her jacket with her keys onto a nearby chair and settled next to him on the bed, sitting and leaning over checking out his face. At his pained expression she went and got more ice before searching for a first aid kit to clean up the cuts on his face.  
  
Finding the small metal white box, she took out gauze and ointment, before putting ice in a plastic baggy, as with just the washcloth he was getting water everywhere as it was took much ice, then putting the wet washcloth in the sink before finding a clean dry one and wrapping the ice baggy inside then taking all of it back over to him. Making him sit up she squeezed ointment onto the gauze and proceeded to clean his cuts, after hearing him hiss in pain she finished up and then gave over the ice for his eye.  
  
"Nice job, Mom." Lorelai commented, as she stepped into the apartment and had been quietly observing.  
  
"Thanks, not really proficient at this whole After-Fight fix up."  
  
"Doing great," Lorelai seemed to be rummaging through Luke's cupboards.  
  
"What are you looking for?"  
  
"Coffee. He ran out." Lorelai whined.  
  
"A crime."  
  
"And he doesn't see it that way. Hateful man."  
  
Jess laughed, as Nathan pointed to the far cabinet.  
  
"Coffee, top shelf last cabinet."  
  
Lorelai did as he said and yelled with triumph.  
  
"Thanks, babe, you are a life saver. Keep him iced and he'll be fine." Lorelai declared before going back downstairs.  
  
"Your grandma is a weird one."  
  
"Don't let Uncle Luke here that or you'll be disowned."  
  
"Somehow I don't think he'll disagree with me. Gilmore genes being what they are."  
  
Jess raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and what's that?"  
  
"Unstable."  
  
"Funny. How about I leave your macho self alone and I'll go back to the DuGrey Palace to confront Playgirl Model."  
  
"Playgirl Model?"  
  
"Don't ask, Grandma's nickname for Terry."  
  
"Just proves my point."  
  
"Shut up," Jess saw him lift the corner of his mouth in a smile, "so where's your mom? Shouldn't she be all Mom-Worried about you?"  
  
"Called my pager and left message that she was upset that I was in a fight and will be home Tuesday."  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Never said she was the greatest mom in the world."  
  
"At least yours didn't abandon you with the Devil Incarnate."  
  
"He doesn't seem all that bad."  
  
"Then why were you two fighting?"  
  
"I said something about his mom."  
  
Jess cringed.  
  
"Bad idea?"  
  
"Claudia D'Anton is not someone Terry ever took lightly. My mom said Tristan only married her because of the DuGrey tradition to marry bright shining objects that rest on your arms. Family wanted it. He's been in love with my mother since they were our age."  
  
"So why'd she let Dad get her pregnant?"  
  
"That's the night she graduated, had a little too much to drink and found out that Claudia had just presented Tristan with a son. I guess if the guy I loved had married someone else and had a baby with her I'd be a little out of it too. Plus Dad was not known for not offering comfort to a over- emotional woman," Jess's pointed look at Nathan, "or else you wouldn't be here either."  
  
"True. At least he provided our moms with us before he went off to become the next Indian Jones."  
  
"Only cooler, right?" Jess joked.  
  
"He is cool, the whole rebel thing that Terry's got."  
  
"You do have that quality too, Nate."  
  
"I'll pass, last thing I want is to find some needy female and get her pregnant. I'll end up married to her."  
  
"So you've been hiding that whole respectable part of yourself from me, huh?"  
  
"Can't have my sister finding everything out about me now can I?"  
  
"Fine be that way," Jess playfully hit his arm, "did you tell Mr. Medina you are my brother?"  
  
"No, outside us and our family I didn't think anyone else knows."  
  
"He does. When he talked to me today he said to try to keep a reign on my brother and when I assumed he was talking about Terry he said he wasn't."  
  
"Okay. So he knows, no big deal."  
  
"If it's no big deal why are you the one that wants to keep us being siblings a secret?"  
  
"Don't you think you have enough to worry about with C.J. and Terry then everyone knowing about me?"  
  
"So you like people thinking you're my lover?"  
  
"No but that's what small minded people need, gossip and conclusions to jump to. Besides I don't think my mom wants me to jump and down screaming you're my sister when she has everyone thinking the guy she got pregnant by lives in England and died before they could get married."  
  
"True, Amanda's not real thrilled about me being related to you as well as to the DuGrey's."  
  
"My mother loves you its just public opinion of her matters."  
  
"Are you feeling any better?"  
  
"If you want to go now."  
  
"I asked a question, Nate."  
  
"No, I feel like a met someone's fist several times and who'd have thought that Pretty Boy has good aim or fighting skills."  
  
"I'm shocked, you actually called him a nickname. I think I'm converting you."  
  
"You are not."  
  
"Yes I am. I am going to run downstairs and tell Luke that his nephew is becoming more Gilmore like."  
  
"Do that and I'll never talk to you again."  
  
"What's with males and threats today? First Terry, now you. Do all the men in my life feel the need to threaten me in order to keep me in line."  
  
"Speaking as one male in your life, yes."  
  
Jess grinned.  
  
~  
  
Well, that's it for now. Let me know what you think..hope this helps with the confusion on Rory's behavior..more to come soon.  
  
January 2, 2002 


	4. Tree

By Request I am doing a family tree to un-confuse.  
  
Be My Someone  
  
Family Tree of The DuGrey/Gilmore family  
  
Symbols:  
  
+ married  
  
~+~ not married  
  
= children  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
DuGreys:  
  
Tristan DuGrey + Claudia D'Anton = Terrance Julien DuGrey  
  
Tristan DuGrey ~+~ Rory Gilmore = Christopher Janlen Gilmore DuGrey  
  
Alisa DuGrey + Samuel St. Clare = Adam St. Clare  
  
  
  
Gilmores (and extended family):  
  
Richard Gilmore + Emily* = Lorelai Gilmore  
  
Lorelai Gilmore ~+~ Christopher Hayden = Lorelai Leigh 'Rory' Gilmore  
  
Lorelai Gilmore + Luke Danes = none  
  
Rory Gilmore ~+~ Jess Danes = Jessica Leigh Danes Gilmore  
  
Rory Gilmore ~+~ Tristan DuGrey = Christopher Janlen Gilmore DuGrey  
  
Jess Danes ~+~ Amanda Davenport = Jonathan Danes Davenport  
  
Friends:  
  
Sookie St. James + Jackson Melville = none  
  
Lane Kim + Henry Wang* = Hillary Wang  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
*don't know maiden/real last name so might be made up  
  
Hope this explains better. I can't exactly do a real family tree with my computer. The program wouldn't let me do what I wanted. Any questions?  
  
January 3, 2002 


	5. Outpour

AN: Thanks to all my reviewers!! A special thanks for the e-mails I received regarding this story to: Elizabeth, Adrianne Ho, Bridgette, Jenne, Mere, and Jen Whinney.  
  
Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 4: Outpour  
  
Written by: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Seemed all people could talk about on Thursday and Friday was the fact that both of the schools most worthy of being called the 'Studs of Chilton' were suspended until Monday. Rumors flew around about what the actual reason was besides the fight of course, speculation circled and reared its ugly head to land right smack on Jess.  
  
Right like I told the two Neanderthals to fight right in the middle of class, Jess thought walking down the hall to her locker to get her books for after school, at least school is over and I can get far away from here.  
  
Popping open the metal holder of her belongings she grabbed out her history book, placed back her science and math books and shut the door with a click. Shoving the needed book into her bag she didn't see until she rang smack into Terry where she was going.  
  
"Have somewhere to be in a hurry, Gilmore?"  
  
"Anywhere away from you." Jess retorted, to see his lazy smirk appear the one he put on when he wanted to look like the egotistical yet charming pain he was.  
  
"Tell me, did you go over and fix all Davenport's hurts yesterday? I didn't hear you come in last night or leave this morning, maybe you decided that his hurts needed more than a little TLC."  
  
Innuendo knew no bounds. He was sure raking up the jerk points this afternoon, Jess thought sliding her backpack onto her shoulder.  
  
"Maybe I did, what's it to you?"  
  
Obviously that wasn't the come back he was ready for cause for a second he looked unsettled and she put down a imaginary one point for Jess zero to Terry.  
  
"My, my the little girl is finally growing up." Terry mocked, letting her go around him to the double-door exit.  
  
"Too bad you can't learn by example, DuGrey."  
  
Her comment didn't leave time to come up with something witty to say back as she was already out the doors, that were slowly closing themselves after her due to their own weight. Heaving a sigh that he'd get her back later, he headed to the Chemistry lab to finish the detention he and Davenport didn't yesterday.  
  
~  
  
Echoing sounds of 'hip' music drifted into her private sanctuary of the green plant world of the conservatory. In the back of the house, added on by Tristan as a extra at the last minute, was the long stretch of glass paneled luxury mixed with real soil based life forms that lined the walls in expensive planters. Whicker furniture decorated the conservatory and she had one of the padded seat chairs behind her with her painting sitting on its holder, a small glass table held her paint mixtures with her portable c.d. player sounding out the group 'Puddle Of Mudd'.  
  
Singing and moving along with the beat of the music, her feet bare with a pair of jean shorts along with a tie-dyed tank top and over-shirt that was paint splattered and had once belonged to her Uncle's flannel collection. The Spanish tile flooring was cold under her feet but the room was a nice seventy degrees and it was no trouble not to shed clothing if she got too hot.  
  
The painting before her was a mixture of emotions in vivid oranges, reds and blues. When it was finished she was melding it with glass and turning it into one of her many glass emotion pieces that had done so well in art shows the last year. A blowtorch, some painted canvas, glass and hours of patience was all it took to become 'Calliope', the name she always engraved into the bottom corner of the glass when she was finished. Having a secret talent and getting paid for it was a perk that added to her large college fund.  
  
The 'hip' music was coming from Adam's preoccupation with the living room DVD system that wasn't letting out the great sounds that he was sure he could get out of the state of the art system Tristan had installed. She had come home, changed and started work on the latest creation for the past two hours. Wanting to get at least this part of the process finished before in little less than an hour, seeing as how it was six now, the house would be full of teenagers drinking, smoking, and dancing. To make sure she would be gone by that time, with her and her brother's bedroom doors firmly locked so that no 'intruders' looking for a more private place took advantage of her other sanctuary or her brother's. Adam was spending time with his rare in town mother the rest of the night while C.J. had gotten permission by Tristan to spend the night at his friend, Morgan's house unknown to Tristan to come up with more plans for the use of cherry bombs. For a smart kid he was a bundle of trouble, though he had yet to get caught, something not learned by his elder brother or father.  
  
A knock sounded on the glass-paneled door and she saw Adam enter in a pair of khaki slacks and polo shirt, the image of a rich kid. His eyes wondered over to her painting that was now complete and drying.  
  
"Good work, Jess. Another masterpiece by the girl who has it all."  
  
"I think so but I'll let the art critics decide. So tell me of this great big date you have with Mummy-Dearest."  
  
Running the brushes and her hands under the sink, the faucet a gargoyle's face that looked like it was spitting water into a sink of matching gray marble, she turned her face to watch Adam groan at the upcoming night.  
  
"Let's not go into that just yet," Adam eyed her outfit, "don't tell me you are going to play party-girl cause that outfit won't pass."  
  
"Please," Jess snorted, "I wouldn't be here for all the Tea in China. I have to go shower and change into normal people clothes or go out as I am to Nathan's. He wants to work on his swimming average and I offered to time him and lay in the Jacuzzi."  
  
"A sensible girl, no alternative motive." Adam teased.  
  
"None whatsoever," Jess beamed at him, "I have to drop off C.J. and then I have the night to myself."  
  
"Better than my night will be."  
  
"Poor baby," Jess sympathized, "want me to call your mom and say I am kidnapping you and will have my wicked way with you until dawn so there is no possible way that you can attend the parent-child bonding tonight."  
  
"If only you would," Adam professed, "I have no desire to attend the meeting of Husband Number Six."  
  
"Married again?"  
  
"What else is new?"  
  
"Alright," Jess dried off her hands and put away the table and stand so that the painting was leaning against the far wall to dry, "let's go get ready for our night of torments."  
  
Walking out and locking the door after her, Jess caught sight of Terry entering followed by the 'Three Stooges' as dubbed by Hillary. Metal kegs carried by each male entering the dinning room as Adam lifted an eyebrow and Jess shook her head.  
  
"Don't ask. I don't even want to know anything about this party. Just that it's over and cleaned up by the time I come home later."  
  
"So you will be making an appearance in the residence tonight?" Terry questioned.  
  
"After all your drunken buddies leave of course," Jess told him, "you must leave my sleeping habits to me, DuGrey. I don't ask who you spend the night with, or nights depending if you don't get sick of her after one night."  
  
Adam backed away so that the two could argue this out, knowing better to get in the middle of a fight.  
  
"Who are you seducing tonight? The arts professor?" Terry scoffed as Brant, Eric and Zachary made room for the kegs in the kitchen.  
  
"That's right, I've got the hots for the Arts Teacher, with his bald head and bulging gut," Jess sweetly replied, "better him than a guy whose been around the blocks a few too many times and has who knows what living in his pants."  
  
Adam turned a snicker into a cough at that when Terry sent him a marked death-glare.  
  
"I wish you well with Davenport tonight, Gilmore, make a man of him."  
  
"I'll just do that, cause then he'll have no competition at school now will he?"  
  
Adam saw Terry, who had been retreating back to the kitchen pause in mid- step but continue as Jess went up to her room to change and shower.  
  
"You can just feel the love between those two can't you?" Adam mused before going to go get ready to see his loose-legged mother.  
  
~  
  
Relaxing at the Jacuzzi was, Jess couldn't relax mentally. It wasn't that she wanted anything more to do with DuGrey than absolutely necessary it was that he got on her bad side. Turned her into a total shrew without really trying that she beginning to think that maybe she was telling herself that she hated him because in truth maybe she just missed him.  
  
Dunking her head in the warm water, holding up the clock timer and clicking it to stop as Adam came to the edge of the Jacuzzi located at one end of the pool, she lifted her head from the water and saw him through water- blurred eyes.  
  
"Hey, doll face, what's the time?"  
  
"Forty-five seconds. Very good."  
  
"Not good enough," he lifted himself over the divide and sat down across from her, taking the stopwatch and seeing her roll her head about on her shoulders.  
  
"Tense?"  
  
"No. Mentally upset at myself."  
  
"Can't help you there, Jess," Nathan reached out and turned her around so that her back was against his chest, as they sat on the seat in the Jacuzzi, his hands massaged her shoulders lightly so that her head fell down in appreciation that he chuckled.  
  
"Easy to please, that's what you are, Jess."  
  
"Really," Jess quietly asked, "then why can't I ever seem to be happy?"  
  
His hands stopped working on her bunched muscles, using his left hand to force her to face him.  
  
"What's up, Jess?"  
  
"I'll give you two guesses but you'll only need one."  
  
Nathan growled, "DuGrey."  
  
"In one. It is me, right, that is the one acting like a complete shrew to him whenever we are within twenty feet of each other. I mean, I'm basically a nice person," his touch on her jaw dropped as she turned and faced him going back across the Jacuzzi to her own space, "or at least I hope I am. Then I get around him and do a completely 180. Do you know what I said to him tonight? I basically said I'm sleeping with you."  
  
Nathan's dark eyebrows rose in surprise.  
  
"He thinks I am. When I didn't go there until near one and got up before anyone he swore I haven't been home and instead had been seeing to your personal 'extensive' wounds."  
  
Nathan was laughing at this by the time she finished that she twisted her mouth up as if asking what was so funny.  
  
"As extensive as my wounds were, Jess, I don't think you are the right person for that job."  
  
"Neither do I," Jess defended, "I mean you are my brother, by blood, and that's just sick," Jess saw him give a mock pout and she rolled her eyes, "not that you aren't sexy as hell but brother dear, you aren't my type."  
  
"No," Nathan decided to tease her a bit, "you go for California blond and blue eyed."  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"Protest a little more, Jess and I think the DuGrey mansion will hear you."  
  
"Oh, shut up. Some help you are."  
  
Pushing herself up, her one-piece blue bathing suit molded to her graceful body, she wrapped a fluffy white towel around her as he pulled himself out, his swimming trunks leaking water all over the poolside.  
  
"I'm just trying to get down to the truth of what is between you and DuGrey, Jess, that's all."  
  
Catching a tossed bathing robe, one of the blue ones he used all the time, thrown at him by a vigorous Jess as she headed into the house pulling on a guest robe and going to the small family room, that was homier than the entire marble estate. Flopping on the cozy couch she yawned, as Nathan flipped on the small flat screen television and sat next to her.  
  
"Nothing is going on between DuGrey and I. The only truth is that we detest each other."  
  
"Why don't you try analyzing why you hate him and then get back to me on that one?"  
  
"Cause I don't want to. I don't want to think about him, look at him, or hear his name. He is nothing to me, nothing."  
  
"But the guy you were once head over heels for."  
  
"Big deal. I was a kid."  
  
"Three years isn't so long, Jess."  
  
"And he hasn't changed. He's still a walking, talking player."  
  
"That may very well be but you can hate how he acts that doesn't give enough reason to hate him as a person."  
  
"Fine, take his side."  
  
"I'm not taking sides."  
  
"I wasn't the one that got into a physical fight with him and ended up suspended and detentionialized until Winter Break."  
  
"He was insulting you."  
  
"You insulted his mother."  
  
"Who are you defending me or him?"  
  
"Neither, I think you are both morons for fighting."  
  
"Thanks, Jess."  
  
"No problem. Can I go to bed now?"  
  
Nathan nodded taking her hand and leading her to the guest bedroom on the second floor, as she took a quick rise off shower and changed back into the outfit she came over in. Nathan was in his room, thinking that maybe Jess needed to be put in a situation that would put her one on one with DuGrey. From all aspects the two of them were so attracted to each other that it was taking on a life of its own cause now they were using the attraction to use against each other. He saw how close Terry stood next to her when they argued or how Jess's body shifted as if seeking Terry's warmth, it was completely chemical and amusing as all hell to watch. As her brother he knew Terry was not the best choice for Jess but it was who she wanted deep down. Who she had always wanted and yet he knew that neither one of them truly knew each other like they had years before. A lot had changed and while you could only look and see it on Terry, Jess's was hidden. Scars were the only lingering physical presence that once she had come close to being gone forever.  
  
As the clock on the wall next to his bed read midnight he decided that he should probably take her home, leave her car here as she was in no mental condition to drive. Gently pushing on her to wake her up her groggy eyes opened and closed three times before she comprehended that Nathan wanted her to go with him to go back to the DuGrey Palace. Almost sleep walking she followed him and nodded off in the car, when he pulled up to the house he opened her door and carried her out. Cars were gone so the party must have ended and as he opened the front door he was met with Terry's raging emotions and a very giddy blond female.  
  
"Wore her out, Davenport?" Terry snarled, as the sight of Jess cuddled against Davenport's chest angered him.  
  
"She's tired," Nathan stated not wanting to get into it with the jealous boy, "point me to her room so she can go to sleep."  
  
The female beside Terry clutched to his arm and then as he kissed her fingers to get her to let go, she sighed and let him direct the other very handsome boy upstairs.  
  
Taking out the key ring that Jess kept her bedroom key on, Nathan handed it to Terry who opened her bedroom door and allowed Nathan to place her on her bed. Her hands lingered on Nathan's shoulders longer than Terry could stand but then he saw Jess move in her sleep and call out something incoherent. Nathan was saying something soothing to her and she fell back to sleep. Leaving her room, the absolute femininity of it too much for Terry's over-active emotions, that he saw Nathan give him an almost amused look before leaving the house.  
  
Heading back down the stairs, he forgot all about the ditzy girl who was patiently waiting for him and with a few sweet words and promises he sent her away. Not ready to deal with physically satisfaction at the moment as he turned off the lights, the house back to order as he ended the party early now remembering why he had hated the things in the first place and at the top of the stairs heard shouting. Immediately he ran into Jess's room to see her thrashing about on her bed. Her shouts grew louder and he sat beside her on the bed, catching her flailing arms in his hands and saw her face torn up in agony that he reeled back wondering what it could be that would upset her so.  
  
"………please, no…." was the only words he was able to make out as he whispered softly into her ear that she was okay.  
  
Finally the thrashing subsided and she woke up with blinking eyes, pulling out of his grasp instantly she gulped in air as if the whole thing had denied her the essential air of life. Sitting up she glanced away from him.  
  
"What is it, Jess?" Terry asked concerned that she had to keep tears out of her eyes at the use of her first name in so long that wasn't said in spite.  
  
"Nothing but an old nightmare."  
  
"No old nightmare could have you that freaked out."  
  
Jess drew a pattern in the rumpled blankets surrounding her. Her eyes met his and he was taken aback by the depth of pain he saw linger there.  
  
"I was in a car accident," Jess told him softly, not knowing why she was telling him only knowing that she had to, "when I first got my license. I had C.J. in the car with me and someone ran a stoplight crashed right into the driver side of the car. I threw my body, still locked in the seat belt, over him just as a piece of metal imbedded itself in my back that would have entered C.J.'s lower body and killed him," silent tears rolled down her face, "I was in the hospital for two months to have them remove the metal and keep me from being crippled, it ended right along my spine that the doctors told me that if it had been an inch closer I would be crippled for life. I spent every day for six months, the first two to get most of my moving my legs back in order, and the rest of the time making sure there wasn't any complications to the surgery. I walk fine, no limp or relapse but I dream that I hadn't moved that split second and C.J. was sitting there, bleeding to death and I could do nothing but watch and blame myself. Nothing," her eyes looked up at him with anger, "do you have any idea how that feels?"  
  
"But you saved him, Jess, C.J. is alive because of you."  
  
"And the whole time I was going through the therapy and the surgeries I blamed him. That it might have been better to let him die than to go through the agony of knowing my motor functions would never work perfectly again. They told me in the hospital that I'd never walk again. I'd be lucky if I could crawl with the lack of upper body strength I had. I would see C.J. walk into the hospital room, walk and I wanted to take it all back. But I got through it, I'm fine and C.J. is fine but I don't feel fine. I feel ashamed of myself for thinking that losing my baby brother would be worth keeping myself out of a wheelchair."  
  
Jess sobbed into her hands, "now, tell me Terry, doesn't that make having nightmares punishment for what I could have done?"  
  
Not being able to stand seeing her like that he drew her unwilling body to him and let her cry into his blue button down shirt. Her body racked in sobs of misery and self-hatred that he couldn't think of what to do or say. Words came out that he had no idea where they came from.  
  
"You are human, Jess, you wanted to live. You wanted to be like everybody else and there is nothing wrong with that. But you did sacrifice yourself to have C.J. and he's alive and well thanks to you. The metal could have paralyzed you but it didn't and you proved the doctors wrong. It's something to be proud of not ashamed of. I doubt I could have done what you did and you can't keep beating yourself up about it because this torture on yourself isn't healthy and you ARE fine. You can run, jump, walk, crawl, and annoy the hell out of me."  
  
The last part caused her to laugh into his shirt.  
  
"When'd you get so much older than me?" Jess asked, pulling back and wiping at her eyes.  
  
"I am older than you, Jess. Haven't you noticed?" Terry teased gently.  
  
"I've noticed and so has about a million other girls in the world," Jess assured.  
  
"Yeah, well," Terry stood up next to her bed, unused to having people poor out their hearts to him and especially unused to a emotionally despaired Jess, "think you can sleep without waking the dead now?"  
  
"I'm sure I'll let you know."  
  
He nodded and as he went to her door he saw her observing him with something akin to wonder.  
  
"Night, Jess."  
  
"Night, Terry."  
  
~  
  
You'd think, Jess thought as she yanked her hairbrush through her hair causing tears to sting her eyes that she lighted up on her innocent hair, that after last night he would at least be a little more human but oh, no not him.  
  
It would be too much to hope that he'd act like a decent, well-broad up guy wouldn't it? Of course it would. And now I'm here standing in front of my mirror arguing and answering myself in my head, how pathetic am I?  
  
Tossing her hairbrush on her desk, she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on as she balanced precariously by holding one hand in the air and then walked out of her room back down to the Battlefield from earlier. The Battlefield that included his mother, two photographers and one very smug, perfumed and sexy dressed girl.  
  
After waking up that morning she had taken a much needed shower and rested her head against the steam warmed tile shower wall, while evening her still ragged breath from the emotional outburst of pouring out her fear to the one person who could damage her greatly with the knowledge she gave him.  
  
But I guess you weren't thinking now were you, Jess reprimanded herself.  
  
Going downstairs in a simple violet short-sleeved shirt and a patterned violet and white skirt that came to mid-thigh. Her hair pulled up into a simple ponytail and no shoes on. Why bother when she was hanging around the house all day?  
  
Mrs. Fitz had been up early working on the disaster of the kitchen, the only evidence of last night's party and had breakfast all ready and waiting. A sleepy eyed Adam was next into the dinning room with faded jeans and a dark green pull over. Jess had to twice yell at him from across the table to keep him from doing a head dive into the eggs.  
  
The second time she yelled Terry had entered the room with a very alert look on his face that put her on instant guard at him being a morning person when he had gone to bed the same time she had and although the shower had helped she still felt like a walking zombie.  
  
"Why are you so alert?" Jess asked, "it's too early for you to have driven over a small child so that can't be it."  
  
"Perky, aren't we?"  
  
"No, we," Jess referred to Adam and herself, "aren't. Tell me your secret you had to have done something to be so bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. I want in."  
  
"He must have gotten laid." Adam mumbled in between swallows of eggs and bacon.  
  
"Is that right?" Jess wondered.  
  
"So interested in my love life now? Why is that? Don't have one of your own though I did see a guy bring you into the house and you looking not too into it then as well. Wear you out, did he?"  
  
"Why you…."  
  
As she reached for her glass his hand covered hers, causing instantaneous sensations to swim in her head at the contact.  
  
"Let's not have a repeat this morning, Gilmore."  
  
Oh, so it's back to Gilmore this morning, huh? Her mind raged, well, two can play that game.  
  
"But I'm rather fond of repeats, DuGrey. Get to relive the moment again and again."  
  
"Not so early, you guys. Do you have to fight?"  
  
"Of course," Terry simply put it, "we wouldn't be us if we didn't verbally battle every chance we got, now would we?"  
  
"You are absolutely right, DuGrey, we wouldn't be."  
  
Jess continued to finish her breakfast and as she gulped the last of her milk she heard the doorbell ring.  
  
"Make it stop." Adam groaned.  
  
"The doorbell, Hangover-Boy." Jess informed him and jumped to get it.  
  
"We do have people hired to do that you know!" Terry called after her.  
  
"Bite me!"  
  
The sticking out of her tongue directed at the back of Terry's perfectly combed head was put on hold as the people behind the door stared at her. Embarrassed she slid her tongue back in her mouth and smiled.  
  
"Morning."  
  
"Good morning."  
  
Jess seemed at a loss on what to say now that she had greeted the people standing there, or rather the two guys dressed in silk suits. Both holding cameras so she would guess they were photographers.  
  
"Jessica, darling!" the accented female voice came and Jess felt slim arms enfold her into pure white and then backed off so that the blond with hazel eyes and a model's walk came in followed by the two photographers and then a 'Mini-Me' of Claudia D'Anton dressed to kill in pure red leather following.  
  
"Ah, Claudia, what are you doing here?" Jess asked as their voices traveled and both Adam and Terry made there way from the table to the foyer.  
  
"To see Terry of course and to visit. Ernesto, Anthony, and Lizette this is Jessica Gilmore, my ex-husband's goddaughter."  
  
"You are, how should I say this, a vision, Mademoiselle Gilmore."  
  
"Thanks, I think." Jess was lost as to these people as she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder by Adam as Terry became the instant charmer and manipulator he was famed for.  
  
"Maman," Terry greeted kissing her powdered cheek, "what brings about this surprise?"  
  
"We were in the neighborhood and I couldn't wait to see you on Winter Break so I decided to spring for an early visit," a matchmaking spark came into Claudia's calculating eyes, "and of course Lizette missed you."  
  
So absorbed in his mother's presence he missed the goddess in red waiting off to the side. Her salon-styled waves of spun gold were still shoulder length and invited a guy's touch to sink his fingers into them and her eyes were slightly tilted with that exotic look it gave her brown eyes dressed at her best in clinging red leather that accented every female attribute she possessed. The model known as Lizette de Vec was standing in his foyer.  
  
"Lizette," Terry kissed her cheek as she whispered in to his ear, "Bonjour, lover."  
  
Adam and Jess watched the whole exchange with a certain removed approach to it all.  
  
"Did you know that Claudia was going to be here?" Jess asked softly.  
  
"Had no idea. Man, Tristan is going to be ticked."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Where is your father, Terrance? Does he not greet his ex-wife?" Claudia demanded.  
  
"Dad's not here, Maman. He won't be back until this afternoon sometime."  
  
"Well, if I must wait," her tone spoke of her impatience at having to be made to wait, "you will see to my things will you not?"  
  
"Of course, Maman."  
  
Mrs. Fitz heard the commotion and came out to see the vivid picture of the tanned, elegant blond who had some of her looks passed to her son. Along with the dark haired photographers and the girl in a shade of red the elder woman had never seen.  
  
"Mrs. Fitz could you call Alfred and James to see my mother's things to the guest suite."  
  
"Yes, Master Terry."  
  
The photographers seemed disoriented and then they both seemed to follow Jess's nervous gestures with their eyes. Adam nodded for her to follow him and they went into the living room where Claudia and Lizette were interrogating Terry to why he had not called. Lizette, Jess thought, was a bit on the barely tolerant side as she put a hand on Terry's chest and tapped with a manicured hooker-red nail at his explanation about school.  
  
"At least you have some female living here with all you males," Claudia proclaimed, "Jessica is indeed just the sort of female that needs to keep you in line."  
  
"Oh, she does that alright." Adam muttered and Jess, standing next to him, elbowed his side.  
  
"You are Jessica," Lizette drawled in her heavy French accent, standing in front of Jess and about two inches taller thanks to the spiked heels.  
  
"That would be me."  
  
"I pictured you differently from mon amour's description, heavier and more plain."  
  
Jess tossed a gonna-kill-you look at Terry.  
  
"Well, he's never spoke about you." Jess replied truthfully.  
  
Surprise widened the heavy darkened brown eyes.  
  
"Non?"  
  
"No, sorry, seems your 'mon amour' had other females on his mind these past couple of weeks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting ready for my public, they are awaiting my presence in Stars Hollow."  
  
Making an exit out of the room, Adam following with a goodbye to his cousin's mother they went upstairs.  
  
"Can you believe him?" Jess asked, "the nerve to paint me like that and to bring that piece of walking pornographic fantasies into his father's home."  
  
"He didn't know, Jess," Adam defended.  
  
"Sure he didn't. I'm going to my grandmother's."  
  
"Jess, wait…"  
  
Ignoring Adam she went to her room and slammed the door shut.  
  
Now on her way to Lorelai's Jess couldn't believe this. Not only had she poured her heart out to Terry and he was nice but then he does a complete 180 and acts like she is beneath him cause the entire time his 'girlfriend' was asking questions he had not done one blasted thing to help her from the confusing situation it put her in. Well, he could just deal with his mother on his own.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Another chapter….short….with more details in the next chapter…  
  
January 10, 2002 


	6. Telling

AN: A huge thank you to all the people that were patiently waiting for me to write this next chapter. I love all the feedback and emails I got. Thank you and without further words of praise I give you Chapter 5.  
  
Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 5: Telling  
  
Written By: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
The mood she was in wasn't any better by the time she got to the blue and white post labeled 'Stars Hollow'. It was bad enough that in her fit of temper she remembered that Nathan had driven her home last night, so her car was still at his house. That made it complicated and so she had 'borrowed' Adam's car, taking his car keys by the front door. She'd call and apologize to him later.  
  
Jess pulled the car right next to the sidewalk and cut the engine, getting out her sandals pounded on the concrete and the look on her face told the couple people she passed as she opened the diner door not to mess with her.  
  
Inside the diner, Jess stocked across the tiled flooring and ungraciously sat on one of the vacant bar stools, agitation in her every movement. Slamming the keys on the counter, she rubbed her temples with her fingers as if to wish away the morning.  
  
"I take it that something happened?" Luke Danes inquired of the distraught brunette.  
  
Jess opened her closed eyes and took in her Uncle's concern, she let out an impatient breath of air and nodded. Reaching behind him into the small frig he pulled out a Pepsi and set in front of her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Rough morning?"  
  
"The roughest. Can I just stay here a while? Help out if you need it? I really don't want to show up at the house two hours early," Jess let out a small smile, "who knows what Grandma will do to me."  
  
Luke offered her an uplift of his lips.  
  
"Sure, though I don't need any help. Upstairs is empty if you want to hang out."  
  
"Okay," Jess turned on the bar stool, sipping from the blue, red and white can, "I'll be upstairs."  
  
Luke nodded to her as she walked off, the violet clad girl not noticing that her Uncle was already picking up the phone and dialing a number.  
  
~  
  
The echoing sound of ringing got Nathan's attention from the girl in front of him he was talking to. Remembering that he was alone, big surprise, he walked over to the cordless phone and hit send.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Jess's here, she doesn't look like herself."  
  
"Uncle Luke?"  
  
"Who else? I suggest that you get over here and find out what's going on."  
  
"Right."  
  
Nathan set the phone back in its holder and turned to the blond over his shoulder.  
  
"Interesting conversations you have, Nathan, two word answers at the most."  
  
"We have to go."  
  
The white-blond lifted a delicately arched eyebrow at this, her mahogany eyes searching for an answer in his face.  
  
"And just where are we going?"  
  
"Stars Hollow."  
  
~  
  
Paige Whitaker was not a girl known for being the warm and fuzzy type. Direct, stubborn, and opinionated suited her much better than being the kind of girl that thought of nothing but boys, clothes, and the latest gossip. Which always made her seem like the girl who would never consciously like a guy knowing full well that he didn't like her back.  
  
You are pathetic, Whitaker, Paige berated herself as they sat in Nathan's car that had definitely seen better days, you come over to his house today to go over the World Lit project and you get caught up in his life.  
  
Not that she overly minded. Paige's life was so organized that the clock could set it, it ran smoothly and she never really deferred from it. The moment she came up onto the porch of the Davenport house she felt her calm demeanor leave her without a backwards glance. Nathan had always had that effect on her since she had met him, met him when he was talking to Gilmore of all people.  
  
Honestly she couldn't really hate Gilmore. She respected the girl's outward look on things, how creative she was, and barely had a flaw for her to nit-pick at. It disturbed her how very likable Gilmore was and then to find out that Nathan had a not so casual liking towards her, well the idea of being a friend with Gilmore went right out the window. Paige was an only child and not used to sharing and she was dead certain she wanted not to have to share the amazing, funny, and protective Nathan with the soulful eyed girl.  
  
"So why exactly are we heading towards Stars Hollow?" Paige wondered, not knowing much about Nathan's personal life.  
  
"A small family problem."  
  
Paige nodded, but couldn't keep her reporter mind out of it.  
  
"You have family in Stars Hollow?"  
  
Nathan's grip on the steering wheel of the 1970s Ford Pickup that had seen better days tightened.  
  
"Kind of."  
  
"Kind of? How can you kind of have family?"  
  
Paige saw him glance at her with those brilliant eyes of his and she felt her heart beat speed up.  
  
"You never quit do you, Paige?"  
  
"Quit?"  
  
"Looking for dirt, clues, insight to the uninsightful. You know, being a reporter."  
  
"I am a reporter."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Paige huffed not seeing where he was going with this. Glancing out the window she saw the gathering of trees on the long stretch of road, the serenity of the scenery like taking her back to the 1600s when the U.S was nothing but trees on this coast.  
  
"I was just hoping I'd find out where you intend to take this very unsafe vehicle in case I need to call for a cab later."  
  
Nathan chuckled, a deep sound that came from his chest and made Paige stare at him.  
  
"Did I say something funny?"  
  
"You sound just like Jess."  
  
Again, Gilmore, Paige thought bitterly, why was it that all the males at that school that did and didn't admit they liked the younger girl always bring her up when not everyone got along with Miss Has-Everyone-Wrapped- Around-Her-Pinkie.  
  
"Really? Well, at least the two of us can agree that you driving this seriously need of an retirement truck is very unsafe."  
  
"It's safe enough."  
  
The spaces of trees opened to the sight of the quaint town that Paige had on occasion passed by in her own car. The small town had that homey, 1950s feel to it when everyone knew everyone and it was picture perfect. She felt a gag rising to the back of her throat.  
  
In her intake of the town she didn't realize that Nathan had parked behind a very recognizable car that Paige knew belonged to Adam St. Clare, until he cleared his throat.  
  
"Are you coming?"  
  
He climbed out, shutting the door, as Paige gingerly stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut as if it was just about to bite her. Dusting off her hands together, as she wasn't about to dust them off on her white slacks, she saw him going into a greenish colored building with the words 'Hardware' on them.  
  
"What do you need…." Paige stopped, as he was not able to hear her from being inside and reluctantly followed.  
  
Opening the glass door, she was stunned to put it mildly that inside was very nice and not a Hardware store but a diner. Little town quirks, Paige mused.  
  
Nathan was leaning over the counter, where a man that looked in his late forties, early fifties with a backwards blue cap on, wearing flannel, was talking to him in low tones. Her eyes traveled over the space to the small tables, red and white checkered clothes, and again it amazed her how this place seemed unchanged by the rapid changing times.  
  
Deciding that she was thirsty by seeing so many people drinking out of glasses, she headed to the counter with the rigid spine and all the dignity of a high society princess.  
  
"Excuse me," Paige called making the man in the cap look at her, "I would like an ice tea, with a twist of lemon."  
  
"I take it this is a friend of yours, Nate?"  
  
"Um…" Nathan looked at a loss for the very Chiltonite Paige, "Paige Whitaker this is Luke Danes."  
  
"Danes?" Paige pondered over the last name and then had to immediately hide her scowl as she made the connection, "You are Jessica Gilmore's Uncle?"  
  
"That would be me."  
  
Paige then realized that whatever Nathan was taking care of it had to do with that little bundle of trouble. Both men were ignoring her once again and then Paige saw the most dramatic acting woman enter the diner. It wasn't so much the way she was dressed but by the way she entered as if she was a woman starving, all her reason for existing almost gone and she was in desperate need of something. Other than that she was a very pretty woman, around the same age as Luke, with a sophisticated outfit on that would fit right at home at any of her mother's many social gathering parties.  
  
"Luke," the woman called out, sliding her body onto the black cushioned stool, "must have coffee."  
  
"Lorelai, no."  
  
"You evil man," the woman named Lorelai decided, "I come in here for years and yet you still put up that old argument. I will get my coffee, I always get my coffee."  
  
"I have destroyed the coffee machine."  
  
"You what? Blasphemy! How dare you destroy a holy relic! I will not hear of such things," Lorelai said in her most sincere outraged voice, "I will have you tarred and feathered and you know in small towns they still do it."  
  
Completely drawn in by the woman's outrageous manner, Paige watched as if she was watching a program on the television.  
  
"Lorelai," Luke continued calmly, obviously used to the woman's antics, "how many times must I say no for you to get the picture? Coffee is bad for you."  
  
"No it isn't. It is a life giving substance that I must have in order to complete my daily routine or I shall perish."  
  
"I highly doubt it."  
  
"Please……Luke, Lukey…..You are my supplier! I am a paying customer and I demand to be given the coffee I have ordered."  
  
Nathan was openly grinning from ear to ear at this.  
  
"Hello, Nate, please tell his Unholiness that I must be served coffee." Lorelai turned her eyes onto the handsome young male next to her.  
  
"I don't know, Lorelai, Luke does have a point."  
  
"Taking his side? Wait until Jess hears of this, she will straighten you out. Fine, be that way…" Lorelai pouted, "I will just have to sit here and whine."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Oh, Luke….coffee fiend….I need my coffee…..Lukey is a very, very bad man…"  
  
Paige couldn't keep her laughter in and burst out into giggles.  
  
"And who are you?" Lorelai went from pouty, as Luke had gone to service other customers, to the Spanish Inquisition in two seconds.  
  
"Paige Whitaker."  
  
The dark haired, blue-eyed woman raised a speculative eyebrow.  
  
"Whitaker….wait a sec…you are the girl that is denying Jess being on the paper."  
  
"Uh.."  
  
"Listen here, little missy, my granddaughter might be one of the biggest pains next to myself of course, but she is talented at writing just like her mother. You are denying the readers one of the best columnists at that preppy school of yours. Besides," Lorelai hopped off the stool with a watchful eye on Luke going around the counter, "you aren't gonna be at old Hell next year and you'll need someone on that paper who actually knows how to complete full sentences."  
  
Nathan was shaking his head, as Paige saw Lorelai slip into the back and come out with a triumph cup of steaming hot coffee.  
  
"Lorelai!" Luke's voice raised across the room.  
  
"What?" Lorelai asked innocently, coming from around the counter, "desperate times call for desperate measures, Luke."  
  
"That's it! I am throwing that thing out!"  
  
"No! Not the coffee maker!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Nathan reached to take Paige by the wrist.  
  
"This is the time I suggest we leave, they can go on like this for hours."  
  
Paige followed him past the counter and up narrow stairs that led to a door that Nathan opened, leading into a wood flooring, very last century touches. Finding herself closing the half-frosted glass, half-wood door behind them she saw just why Nathan had decided to take a long break on their project.  
  
Sitting in a violet shirt, with a violet and white patterned skirt, her hair in a ponytail was Jessica Gilmore, who looked like the world was against her. Something Paige knew would never happen to the always landing on her feet Gilmore. Sitting next to the open window that the view was of the wide grassy and autumn colored trees and gazebo across the street.  
  
"End of the world, Jess?"  
  
Paige saw Jess look away from the window to the brown eyed, brown haired hottie that was Nathan with the saddest expression on her face.  
  
"Might as well be for all the good it'll do me." Jess stated.  
  
"Alright," Nathan pulled up a chair, as Paige leaned against the nearest wall as if to fade in, "tell me what's up?"  
  
"Like you'd care it's just about DuGrey."  
  
"Whoa, wait a second, what did I do?" Nathan defended at Jess's snap.  
  
"What don't you do? Just go away."  
  
"Jess, listen, if DuGrey said something….."  
  
"You aren't really a person I should talk to about this, Nate, it'll only piss you off and knowing you you'll go all caveman."  
  
"Let me be the judge on what I would or wouldn't do."  
  
Jess pulled back from the window, using the wheeled footed chair to glide across the floor directly in front of the broad chest of Nathan.  
  
"You want to know? Since Uncle Luke can't seem to keep it a secret, I showed up a little bit ago," Jess informed, "since Grandma and I are supposed to be shopping today and I was two hours early."  
  
"I gathered that much."  
  
"When you took me back last night," Jess glared at him, "which I am pissed at you cause I had to take Adam's racer here," Nathan grinned, "and left me at the mercy of DuGrey I was having one of my nightmares that he happened to go all nice on me for."  
  
"He what?"  
  
"He became the listener, something you are famous for, and well I spilled my guts to him. About most of it. He was all sympathetic and kind, a big change from the jerk he normally is and then this morning…." Jess shuttered in disgust, "his mom showed up."  
  
"Claudia is here?"  
  
"The one and only. Only she brought with her two photographers and a younger version of herself, who seemed to be on quite intimate terms with DuGrey if you get my meaning. Then," Jess was so angered she stood, kicking the chair and paced, "she talks about he has described me. Like I was some ugly duckling and he had put up with me. I wanted to scream. So I had to leave. Left him with the woman that gave him life and the devil in the red dress."  
  
"So tell me why you are upset again?"  
  
"Don't you get it," Paige concluded, "Gilmore's jealous."  
  
That was when Jess fully took in that she wasn't the only female in the upstairs apartment. Instantly on guard, Jess glared at Nathan.  
  
"Oh, great, as if my life couldn't possibly get any worse I become the petulant child right in front of the girl that hates me," Jess shot daggers from her eyes at Nathan, "thank you so much for coming to play the white knight but I think you've done enough damage."  
  
"Don't take your anger out on him," Paige stepped in, "he didn't do anything but worry over you."  
  
"And why exactly are you here? Last time I checked I wasn't high on your priority list."  
  
"I came with Nathan, we were working on a project when your Uncle called him, though why he did escapes me. A family matter, Nathan?"  
  
Jess almost laughed at how uncomfortable her normally calm and collected brother was.  
  
"Oh, you didn't here? Nathan here is the father of my baby," Jess boasted causing Nathan to rise to his feet, "so he's very much part of the Gilmore clan."  
  
Paige knew that Jess was teasing, knowing how much Paige liked Nathan, but Nathan looked ready to strangle the brunette.  
  
"Are you going to clear this up for me, Nathan, cause I'm confused."  
  
"And lord knows we don't want a confused Paige on our hands, whatever will the readers say." Jess taunted, sitting back in her chair.  
  
"What is your problem, Gilmore?" Paige demanded walking across to the girl, "can't you be civil?"  
  
"To you? Who hates my guts cause you think something sordid is going on between Nate and me? If anyone in this room has a problem being civil, Paige, it's you."  
  
"Okay, ladies, time out."  
  
"Besides," Jess sweetly locked eyes with Nathan, "I think I'll let Nate here tell you just what our relationship is. Wouldn't want you to get your facts wrong when you right your article on the low times of Jess Gilmore, ruined life and all."  
  
"Jess, that's not fair…"  
  
"No," Jess stood at her brother's defense of Paige, "what isn't fair is that both of you like each other and yet you use me as a excuse to keep your relationship strictly platonic," seeing shock in Paige's eyes, "that's right, Paige, Nathan likes you. For crying out loud you've both liked each other since day one and since Paige jumped all over conclusions that Nate was taken you two have been circling each other and I'm sick of it. I have enough problems without being the monkey in the middle. So go ahead, Nate, tell her who you are. Cause if you don't I will."  
  
Nathan had the look of utter and complete defeat on his face. Jess knew him too well. He did like Paige, a lot actually. She was one of those people whose determination was amazing to him, he had seen her take the paper and turn it into one of the best in the country that could even outdo some of the professional papers written by seasoned veterans. He knew she liked him but couldn't bring himself to say anything. His blood wasn't blue and he was no angel.  
  
"Sometimes I think all the men in my life would do well to meet their heads with a piece of brick." Jess muttered.  
  
"You aren't perfect either, Jess."  
  
"Who said I was? But Nate making yourself miserable doesn't help and it sure doesn't help to have her mad at me for something I'm innocent of. All pettiness aside," Jess smiled at Paige, "I think you are a great writer Paige and would be a great friend if we could get past this whole thing with Nate."  
  
"What exactly is going on with you two?"  
  
"Jess is my half-sister, there you happy, I said it."  
  
"Never been happier, brother dear. Now for that shocker, I think I'll go downstairs and help Grandma annoy Uncle Luke."  
  
"Feel better?"  
  
"Kinda. Nothing like putting the spotlight of anger on someone else to put me in a good mood. Bye, Paige. Try not to spray blood on the bedspread. It's a bitch to get out."  
  
Having done that Jess inhaled and left the room as she knew at least if she wasn't able to fix her own problems that she could fix Nathan's. He had a serious need to have girlfriend to keep him in line and he needed to get over that he didn't have to hide their relationship from everyone especially when it was making him and the girl he likes miserable.  
  
Now only if she could cope with her own troubles.  
  
Skipping down the stairs feeling a little better but not much she almost fell on the floor when she saw her mom standing in the doorway of Luke's.  
  
"Mom? What are you doing here?"  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Thought I'd do a little into other people's lives before I continued with the whole angst thing and guess what…Rory's back! The world might never be the same again…  
  
February 6, 2002 


	7. Crossroads

Be My Someone  
  
Chapter 6: Crossroads  
  
Written by: V Lynne  
  
echoinghearts@yahoo.com  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Jessica Leigh Gilmore never thought the day would come when she would actually see her mother in the living room of the DuGrey mansion. If ever there was a time to run for cover, Jess honestly thought that now wouldn't be such a bad idea cause by the looks on the adult's faces this was going to be anything but a happy-family reunion.  
  
~  
  
Jess thought to when she had come to a complete stop upon seeing her mother in the doorway of Luke's diner. The door still opened and then shut as if to symbolize that her mother was back in a big way and not leaving anytime soon. Without thinking she ran across the diner, ignoring Luke's yelling at her to 'not run' and flung her arms around her mother.  
  
"God, Mom, it's so good to see you."  
  
"Jess," Rory was startled by her daughter's outburst, "it's good to see you too," Rory kissed to top of her daughter's dark head and sought out her mother and Luke with her eyes, mouthing 'What's been going on'.  
  
Lorelai, in true Lorelai fashion, shrugged while Luke mouthed 'Later'. Rory saw Jess pull back, and Rory moved a hair from her daughter's face behind her ear.  
  
"You gonna tell me why you looked like I had just become your savior right then?"  
  
"Can we talk later?" Jess asked, as Rory walked across to the counter and gave her mother a hug.  
  
"That is Adam's car, right?" Rory inquired while she leaned and kissed Luke's cheek, "why are you driving Adam's car?"  
  
"Long story. Listen, could we not talk about this here?"  
  
"Since shopping is off," Lorelai announced, "why don't we go to the house and you can tell us why you're here early, Rory and your 'Mini Me' can tell us what's got her goat."  
  
"Luke, if you hear screaming and a loud thud upstairs," Jess called as the two women were bustling around to leave, "it's just Nathan's dead body. So don't go up for at least an hour."  
  
"I take it that is his girlfriend?"  
  
"She will be once he does some major kissing up for not telling her I'm his sister not his love interest."  
  
Luke nodded, before turning back to work on cooking hamburgers. Rory paused as they went outside and Jess inhaled.  
  
"I have been out of touch haven't I?" Rory asked.  
  
"You have no idea, Mom."  
  
~  
  
At the Gilmore House, Jess sat with her feet tucked up under her on the floor while Rory was at one end, Lorelai the other of the couch. Three generations of Gilmore's, the looks passed down all evident in each of them and Jess was not ready for the words that were sure to come out of her mother's mouth.  
  
"So tell me what was that all about?"  
  
Not surprise, Jess thought, as Grandma bet Mom to the punch.  
  
"Nathan hasn't been on the really telling people I'm his sister kick, so the reason Paige hates me is because she thought we were dating and that's why she isn't letting me write for the paper."  
  
"Sounds like Paris." Rory muttered ruefully.  
  
"And you fixed it?"  
  
"Hopefully. I'm tired of Nathan hiding the fact that he's one of my brother's just causes he doesn't want to complicate my life. It made him miserable and frankly I don't want to be the one causing him misery, that's his girlfriends job."  
  
"How right you are, young one. So he told her?"  
  
"Yep and I'd say that she'll have a day of not talking to him and then you'll see them all PDA in the halls."  
  
"What was the problem that Luke said you were having that caused the Dark Knight to come cheer you up?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
That was queue in the Gilmore world for there was something very 'up'.  
  
"Alright, we'll get back to you," Lorelai concluded before turning her attention to Rory, "so tell us why the sudden appearance?"  
  
"My job qualifications changed and I talked to my boss. So I'm here early, to stay."  
  
Lorelai squealed in glee, having missed her only offspring terribly, and saw that Jess was smiling.  
  
"Are you going to live with Tristan?" Lorelai asked casually, which got Jess and Rory to blanch.  
  
"We haven't…"  
  
"Really talked about it?" Lorelai finished, "but you will and he'll be all 'Please, Rory, love of my life stay with me forever so we can continue to create beautiful children' and you'll be all like 'Of course, Tristan, whatever was I thinking, I would love to marry you, bear more children and live happily ever after'."  
  
Jess was rolling in laughter at her Grandmother's deepening and lightening of her voice to be more female and then masculine. Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
"Mom, this isn't something you enter into lightly."  
  
"Oh, but having his son was? Come on, Ror, he's been in love with you, you've been in love with him since you were Jess's age," Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter in mock seriousness, "and don't you go learning by example, kiddo, we expect big things from our resident painter."  
  
"Right, Grandma."  
  
"I just don't know, Mom," Rory sighed, "Tristan and I are from two entirely different worlds. He has a son by a woman who would love to see me six feet under, that side of the family would never accept me as step-mother to Terry, and it's not like he's asked."  
  
Jess and Lorelai glanced at one another and then at Rory.  
  
"Mom, if he did you would say yes right?" Jess questioned.  
  
"I love him."  
  
"Good, cause C.J. and I do too. Tristan loves you, you love him and the only thing stopping your marriage is him not asking you? I'd say that isn't it."  
  
"And what do you think it is, Jess?"  
  
"You're scared."  
  
Rory and Lorelai were both stunned.  
  
"Oh, come on, it's not hard to figure out. Grandma hasn't ever married and lives perfectly happy with Luke," Jess grinned wickedly, "doing very 'married people' things. She had you by Grandpa Christopher and yet still has a complete life without marriage. Not that she needs it anyway."  
  
Lorelai winked at her very realistic granddaughter.  
  
"And you," Jess turned to her mother, "you love Tristan, he loves you. He had to do the family obligation and marry a woman he detests and had Terry. You found out and had me with Dad. Then you and Tristan realized you are always gonna love one another and have C.J. Yet neither of you are truly sure what you want only that you love one another. So I think you and him are scared. In our family it's not tradition to marry," Jess laughed at Lorelai's mock noose around her neck, "and taking that step would mean something deeper than I think either one of you are ready to commit to."  
  
"I leave her with Tristan and she becomes the Love Doctor." Rory stated.  
  
"No, I just have my eyes open. Everyone who knows you two knows you belong together."  
  
"What about you and Hot Boy, Jr.?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Terry and I will never be anything more than rivals. We have our moments of peace but he is him and I'm me. Things changed and I don't really see us together given that he's a model and I'm not about to go traveling after him like a pet dog. Besides if Mom and Tristan get married then I don't have a problem cause he'll be my stepbrother. And that's another thing," Jess looked at her, mischief in her eyes, "I would like a sister. I've got brothers, I'd like a sister. So if you and Tristan decide not to marry maybe you could work on one for me?"  
  
Rory let out a gust of air and threw a pillow at Jess.  
  
"Some daughter you are. What's next, me bare-foot and pregnant in the kitchen?"  
  
"No!" Jess exclaimed, "the fire department would be called entirely too often."  
  
That had all of them in a fit of giggles. Luke opened the door sometime later with Nathan and the little tow-head of C.J. in tow.  
  
"Mom!" C.J. cried and Rory stood to hug her son, "Luke said you got back but I thought you said it would be later."  
  
"Seems I can work around my schedule and start my job here earlier than we thought."  
  
"Hello, Rory." Nathan said with a smile, as Jess grinned wickedly to see his lips were redder than when she had left him.  
  
"Nate, thanks for watching out for Jess."  
  
"Someone has to."  
  
"Bite me."  
  
Nathan just grinned at her, walking over to Jess as C.J. was talking non- stop to the three adults.  
  
"You do know how to shock a person," Nathan told her, "I thought Paige was going to have a heart attack when I told her."  
  
"I take it," Jess stood on tiptoe and rubbed off the lingering lipstick on the edge of his mouth with rueful grin, "that you two came to terms?"  
  
"She wants to talk to you on Monday about everything, I took her home"  
  
"Evading my question, Nate? How unbrotherly." Jess teased.  
  
"Watch it, Jess, or I just might be insightful enough to lock you and DuGrey in a room together."  
  
"Do it and I'll make sure you'll never be able to have children," Jess swore with a wink, "so now that the cat's out of the bag, gonna let me tell Hill and Sam?"  
  
"Just them," Nathan allowed, "I want to tell mom when she comes home again. The scandal and all," Nathan rolled his eyes.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"So everybody settled?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I'm sure Dad is wondering where we are," C.J. told Rory as she went to Jess's face.  
  
"C.J. spent the night at his friend's house and I left before Tristan got back." Jess told her.  
  
"Let's take you both back to get things settled," Rory planned, "Nathan could you take Jess to the diner and let her drive Adam's car back to the house, I'm sure he'll need it."  
  
"No problem, come on, trouble."  
  
"Trouble? Me?"  
  
"You."  
  
When they were driving, Jess remembered cursed before she got out of Nathan's truck.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I forgot to tell my mom that Claudia is at the house."  
  
Nathan whistled.  
  
"How many years has it been since the two of them have seen each other?"  
  
Jess moaned, "Not long enough."  
  
~  
  
Not long enough was the understatement of the year when Jess showed up in Adam's car with Nathan having followed her. Jess knew he didn't want to go in and was doing it for her sake. Getting out of Adam's car, she saw the sandy-haired boy come out of the house with the look of utter gratitude on his face.  
  
"You don't want to go in there," Adam said, as he took his keys from Jess, "and next time you want to pull a disappearing act take the other cars, not mine."  
  
"How am I supposed to know? I was angry, I didn't think straight and went for your keys."  
  
"I thought that the world was gonna end when Rory entered the house and Claudia saw her. Tristan got home an hour ago and pacifying her while worrying about you and why it was taking C.J. so long to get home, then to have Rory show up. It is not a pretty picture," Adam stared at Nathan, "I don't think you should go in, just add fuel to the fire."  
  
"I need to bring over Jess's car," Nathan explained, "it's still at my house."  
  
"I'll ride with you to get it," Adam offered, "anything to get out of World War III."  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Sorry, Jess, but you will be needed on the premises in case a cat fight breaks out."  
  
Adam and Nathan climbed into the rusty and orange colored Ford and left.  
  
"Cowards." Jess cursed before heading up the drive, seeing her Mom's Expedition. Taking in a deep breath she entered.  
  
~  
  
And now as she sat in the position she had for the past two hours, she wondered why she hadn't fled with the guys when she had the chance. Watching Claudia and her mother talk was as hazardous as walking on broken glass barefoot. Tristan seemed even more agitated than both women, he hadn't stopped pacing for an hour and Terry was in the corner with Lizette, who found everyway of touching Terry on his legs and upper body without it seeming like she was trying to seduce him. C.J. had been taken quickly upstairs with Mrs. Fitz as that was another ammunition for Claudia to use and he didn't need to be subjected to the two women's old battle.  
  
In her mind, Jess knew that Claudia loved Tristan possessively. The woman thought anything she considered hers, even after such a big thing as divorce, was still hers. Manipulator that she was Claudia never considered it that maybe Tristan loved someone other than her and their son. The argument was old but Jess remembered that Claudia had once thrown such a fit that the words she said were etched in Jess's mind. That no matter how Claudia had tried to get Tristan to love her, he never saw past blue eyes and dark hair. She resented it, when she knew when they got married that Tristan was in love with someone else and was only marrying her for his parent's cold-blooded reasons.  
  
Jess had not wanted to be drug into this living room to become part of the audience to the old battle but somehow with a pleading look from her mother she had entered and Claudia, who perfected the fake pleased expression, had greeted her again. Tristan was about as livid that Claudia had invited herself to the house as a person could get but their topics were barely civil as if to keep them just enough to stop Claudia's photographers from guessing too much into their mutual hatred.  
  
"Jess," Tristan's voice finally filtrated into her thoughts, "I think it's time for you kids to go upstairs, don't you?"  
  
Silently thanking him for the escape he left open, as they had eaten dinner, the quietest one Jess had ever had, she stood and made to leave when Claudia stopped her.  
  
"I take it, ma petite, that it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to see to Lizette's comforts, non?"  
  
Jess was about to spit nails at the elder woman. What the hell did she look like?  
  
"Not at all, Claudia, I always look forward to seeing to everyone's comfort in the house."  
  
Jess left the room with Terry and Lizette following her, as Jess climbed the stairs muttering under her breath that what was this the seventeenth century and did she look like the chatelaine.  
  
Lizette was clinging, that was the only word Jess could think of for it, to Terry's arm and Jess opened to door that obviously had been previously invaded by the nauseating girl. Jess saw Lizette's hand travel a little southern of Terry's chest and broke in, separating the two.  
  
"Just holler if you need anything. The bed has been turned down and it never gets real cold so you should need any new blankets."  
  
"Only one." Lizette's eyes left no doubt of who she was referring to.  
  
"Goodnight," Jess reached in the room and efficiently slammed the door shut blocking the model from seeing Terry.  
  
"A little rude weren't you?"  
  
Jess let out a snort and moved away from him.  
  
"Me? Cause I didn't want to see her pawing at you like a wild animal anymore?"  
  
Terry had that smirk, that irritating movement of his lips that caused her to want to hit him, on his face.  
  
"I thought maybe you could learn something from her on how to please that boyfriend of yours."  
  
Jess almost asked what boyfriend when she remembered that he was referring to Nathan.  
  
"I don't need to learn anything from a practiced superficial model, Terry, but thanks for offering the tutor. I am sure that I can find someone to help you with your manner if I tried but unfortunately you aren't worth the effort."  
  
Again, Jess thought she could see him really want to hit her. Maybe it was her imagination that caused these scenarios when she just had to say something to get him all pissed off at her.  
  
"Care to explain why you high tailed it out of here earlier?"  
  
Jess continued down the hall to the entrance of her room, when she felt him pull on the doorknob that had her hand on it and keep it firmly shut.  
  
"I just didn't feel real into seeing your mother."  
  
Terry touched her shoulder and used his grip to turn her so that her back was against her bedroom door, their hands still on the doorknob.  
  
"Or maybe it's because you felt like I had betrayed you."  
  
"Betrayed me? Why would I think that?"  
  
"Cause Lizette mentioned that I said something about you to her, when I've never talked about you to anyone and that set you off. She was pulling your strings and you let her."  
  
"I'm not really into people thinking they know things about me when they don't. You don't and neither does your very busy handed friend."  
  
"So why did you leave?"  
  
"I had to go shopping today."  
  
"Yet I see no bags."  
  
"Why are you so interested in what I did? Think maybe I was thinking about you? Well, sorry, I was out with Nathan, making passionate love in his Ford while you were letting your French friend paw you. Is that what you want to hear? Or maybe that I screwing the debate team? Whatever it is, whatever I did or didn't do today it is none of your business."  
  
"You are just ticked because after last night I still didn't let up on you."  
  
"Forgive me for thinking you had emotions, I forgot they were located in your groin area."  
  
Terry leaned forward as his grip tightened on hers on the door making her wince, his chest was a inch from hers and his head leaned in that for a split second she was sure he was going to kiss her, when he moved his mouth to her ear, the warm breath causing ripples of sensations to break loose in her skin.  
  
"So interested in my lower region, Gilmore? Davenport not giving you enough you have to wonder about me?"  
  
Jess inhaled, unevenly.  
  
"No," Jess whispered, "I couldn't care less cause you keep your emotions out of sex and I rather make love to someone who feels something, anything, than wonder what it would be like between us, I'd only be another notch on your bedpost. I don't ever wonder about that. I know you, as much as I want to, and from what I know I would never, ever wonder that."  
  
He jerked back from her and she saw anger light his blue eyes.  
  
"Keep that in mind and stop trying to save me from people I don't need saving from." Terry finally stated.  
  
"I was only saving her from some very boring sex with you, not the other way around. Goodnight, DuGrey."  
  
Jess moved her foot so that she could move into her room when his hand caught hers on the doorknob and brought it up to his shoulder, his intentions known, Jess panicked and felt a hand go to her waist. His hands so warm, she felt hot. His lips descended that she closed her eyes only to open them again at the sound of C.J. calling to them. Instantly springing away from one another, Terry went down the hall to see about what C.J. wanted.  
  
Jess gave a relieved sigh and went into her room, collapsing against the door.  
  
Cause if he had kissed her, she just might have kissed him back.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Another chapter…..well, enough for now….more to come and TRORY…  
  
February 6, 2002 


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